Deathly Love
by missindependent4
Summary: In a world controlled by the Ministry, Harry and Draco must try and survive in the Hunger Games. Together they must kill or be killed while trying to understand their feelings for one another along the way. HPDM
1. Prologue & Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling and the concept of The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins.

A/N: This fic takes the Harry Potter characters and places them in the Hunger Games universe based off of the novel The Hunger Games. It is _not _a crossover fic, _does not _include characters from The Hunger Games, and will be different than the novel itself, but as stated the concept is from the books. Any other questions please feel free to ask and as always please review.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>Sweat dripped down his dirt stained face, but he paid it no mind, instead trying to focus on evening his heavy breathing. If another tribute heard him it could very well mean his death.<p>

Taking a quick glance around after he caught his breath, he looked out of the tree to see if the beast was still down there. If only he had a wand it would make things so much easier, but the Gamemakers hadn't allowed them to be used yet.

Suddenly he heard voices and he paused, retreating into the tree so the other tributes wouldn't see him

"He must ve around here," came the gruff and accented voice. Harry instantly knew it was Viktor Krum from District One, the leader of the Careers, but who was he talking about?

"We've been searching all day," whined a female.

The group came into view and Harry could clearly see the four remaining Careers, but where was Draco?

"Shut up," growled Viktor.

"Don't tell her to shut up or I'll send a knife through your throat," a redheaded male shouted with narrowed eyes as he stepped closer to Krum. The redheaded girl must have been the one who complained because Harry knew that the redheads were the Weasley siblings. He clearly recalled his shock of when he first found out that siblings had been chosen for the Games, but they were both Careers, born and raised to fight in the Games so it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"He can't ave gotten far," Krum stated. "He vas injured after all."

"We could split up," said the other remaining female, an Asian girl also from District One.

"No," barked Krum, who was clearly the leader among them all. "Forget him. He vill die anyway with zat cut I gave him."

There was a low murmur of dark chuckles among everyone until they suddenly subsided.

"Then let's go after the other one. He'll be looking for him anyway. I say we keep going because I'm sure Malfoy didn't head back towards the lake," stated Ron, his hand resting on the knife around his leather belt.

"The sun is going to set soon though," said Cho, looking towards the sky.

She was right. The sun was slowly going down and there were far more dangerous things in the night than the other tributes trying to kill them that they all had to worry about.

"Vill come back here tomorrow zen, neizer can be far. Back to the lake now."

But before any of them had the chance to leave a cannon sounded and everyone, including Harry, looked towards the sky. The face of another tribute, Colin Creevy, floated in the sky before it disappeared.

"That's one more gone," Cho stated indifferently.

"Good," another muttered and then they turned to leave.

As soon as they had come they were gone, their footsteps retreating in the direction they came in back to their safekeeping near the lake where Harry was sure they made camp.

Reaching for the bright orange backpack Harry grabbed the small sleeping bag and unrolled it. He would once again have to sleep in the trees tonight where he would be safe from the others and the dark creatures that thrived in the night.

Tomorrow he would search for Draco. He had to find him before the other tributes did and from the sounds of it he was also injured. Harry just hoped they would both survive to find each other.

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>"There Teddy. Aim lower, to the right just a little. Now!"<p>

The young boy let his finger off the bow and they both watched as the arrow hit the rabbit, stalling the prey from any further movement.

"I did it Harry! Did you see that?" The boy, who was barely twelve years of age, turned towards a tall, muscular, young man with messy dark hair and grinned.

"I did! Shall we go see it?"

He ruffled Teddy's hair before Teddy ran forward towards the rabbit and he followed at a more leisurely pace, content to spend the day with the only family he had left, even if it wasn't by blood. Harry had seen too many losses in his seventeen years, first from his parents he had barely known and most recently within the past two years it had been his godfather and Teddy's father. The young boy only had Harry to rely on and he would do anything to protect him.

"I think it's dead," stated the brown-haired Teddy, poking the grey fur of the rabbit. Harry chuckled and bent down over it.

"You had a good shot. Now take the arrow out and we'll bring the rabbit back with us after we check our other traps."

The arrow was retrieved and the rabbit was placed in a knapsack that they carried with them.

"Harry?" asked Teddy as they walked closer to the edge of the woods where they had several traps set. "Why do we have to use bows and arrows and set traps when we can just use our wands?"

A brief flood of anger rushed through Harry as Teddy brought up wands, the object that everyone had but could hardly use due to the strict Ministry regulations unless you were an employee of the Ministry or were a winner of the Games.

"We still have to known how to survive without wands. We can't use that many spells that would go undetected by the Ministry so it's a good skill to have. Plus, your dad and Sirius taught me to hunt and I know they would be proud that we're still doing it."

Harry slung an arm around Teddy's slumped shoulders. The blue eyed boy looked at the ground, kicking the dirt and twigs that had fallen from the forest trees above.

"Dad said I had to wait til I was ten to hunt. He never got to show me."

Harry stopped and bent down so that he was at Teddy's level. Gently, he placed his hand on Teddy's jaw to make the boy look at him.

"I'm sure your dad didn't mind that I taught you and he would be very proud of you, Ted."

Tears welled in Teddy's eyes, but he only nodded and puffed his chest out as if reigning in his emotions.

"Yeah. Thanks, Harry."

Harry stood and put his arm back around the boy as they continued on towards the traps, but the silence was interrupted by Teddy's own thoughts said aloud.

"Dad told me he wanted to teach me to hunt in case I ever was called for the Games. Is that why you're teaching me?"

Harry froze at Teddy's words, not quite sure what to tell the boy. Yes, it had been true that both Sirius and Teddy's father Remus had taught him how to hunt in case Harry's name had ever been called, but after they both died it was more of a survival technique. Harry could not work in the mines until next year and what other job was there for the likes of him? He was poor and he had to hunt in order to supply food for himself and Teddy while also catching other game so he could sell on the black market in Knockturn Alley. No, he no longer hunted thinking about the Games, instead thinking that he had to live.

"We've got to eat haven't we?" Harry asked. "The more help I get the more food we have."

Harry wasn't sure if Teddy believed him for he was at the age where he didn't take everything people said for truth anymore, but the boy didn't say anything else.

"Oh look Ted! I think we've got something in the trap up there. Want to go see?"

The trap provided a much needed distraction from the conversation at hand as Teddy raced ahead, but the unsettling feeling stayed with him, sure that it was the fact that the reaping, the day where the names were announced for the upcoming Hunger Games, was only days away and it would be the first time Teddy would be entered. He was too young and what if he was selected? Harry was sure the boy wouldn't survive and he wouldn't let that happen and lose another person so dear to him. All they had was each other.

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><p>When Harry was just a baby his parents had been killed in a raid that had taken the District years to recover from. Since that time he had lived with his godfather, Sirius Black, and both his father and Sirius' best friend, Remus Lupin. Remus had eventually married and moved out leaving Harry and Sirius on their own, but they saw each other frequently especially on the weekends when they hunted. His own father along with Remus and Sirius had been taught by their fathers after District Thirteen had been destroyed by the Ministry all those years ago when it was necessary to fend for yourself since wand use was put under strict regulations.<p>

When Sirius and Remus had both been killed in the mine blast Harry had been devastated. He was only fifteen and Teddy's mother had died in child birth leaving them both alone with no other family. The boy was only eight at the time and understood that his father had been killed in an accident and from that moment on Harry knew he was the one who would provide for Teddy.

"I'll be back Teddy," Harry called into the house as he took the extra game they had caught with him.

It was time to go to Knockturn Alley, a place where Harry refused to let Teddy go until he was older. The only reason Harry went was because he needed the extra income or other products he traded for. Knockturn Alley was known as the Black Market and although there was nothing devious about the Alley it was where all the illegal transactions took place. Thankfully it was kept under the radar in their District, but Harry suspected that had something to do with their very own mayor occasionally trading there.

There were still a couple of hours left before the sun set which meant it was the busiest hours in Knockturn Alley. People would be bartering and selling their items for that evening's meal or whatever other needs they had at the moment. Harry first went to an elderly lady's house, Mrs. Figg, who always gave him cheese and milk in return for squirrel, a meat that neither Harry nor Teddy were fond of but would eat if that was all there was.

"Squirrel today Potter? Well come in, come in. I've got some goat's cheese and milk for you this evening."

Harry stepped into the back of the house in the kitchen where Mrs. Figg ambled about retrieving the items for him.

"And how is Teddy? Doing well in school, yes?"

Although the elderly lady had never met Teddy she knew, as did most other residents in town, that Harry was the sole caregiver of him.

"Just fine Mrs. Figg."

"Good good. Here you are now."

Harry thanked the lady and quickly went back into the Alley, hoping he could trade some of the eggs he found in a nest in the forest.

"Harry!"

Said teen turned around when he saw Neville Longbottom calling his name and waving towards him. Neville lived with his grandmother who was more often than not ill, but thankfully Neville had learned how to heal from her and had his own herb garden. Occasionally Neville would venture into Knockturn Alley to sell some herbs he had an oversupply of, but usually he stayed clear of it.

"Hey Nev! How's your gran?"

"She's doing alright. How's Ted?"

"Fine, just fine."

Neville eyed Harry, noticing that the other teen seemed on edge and nervous and there was only one guess.

"You're nervous about the reaping."

In the new world that they lived in there were twelve districts and Harry lived in District Twelve, the coal mining district. Long ago there were Thirteen Districts, but District Thirteen had been destroyed by their government, the Ministry, after District Thirteen started a revolution and wanted to overthrow the Ministry. Needless to say District Thirteen was obliterated and was now a wasteland. After the revolution the Ministry decided they would begin the Hunger Games, a sick and twisted game that selected two young people from each district between the ages of twelve and eighteen who would compete in a televised competition until only one competitor was living. They had to fight to their deaths and the winner would be brought back to their District as a champion.

The reaping, where the two candidates from each District were chosen, was only days away. It would be Teddy's first. As the days grew closer to the reaping Harry could feel his agitation, nervousness, and anger towards the Ministry rising. How could they do this to children, to receive pleasure in watching innocent children kill each other? It was a punishment for them all so none would defy the Ministry again. The message of the Games said, 'Watch what I will do to you and your family when you go against me'.

Harry nodded his head and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

"I'm afraid Ted might get called. He's so young and can you imagine if he went against some of those in Districts One or Two? The Careers would take him out within minutes that the Games started."

"You need to have more faith in Teddy, Harry. I know you're protective of him, but you've taught him well and who is to say that his name will be called? There are hundreds of other candidates including both of us who could go in. You can't worry yourself to death."

Harry knew that Neville was right, that there was no use in worrying over the reaping or the Games until the day came.

He forced a smile on his face and patted Neville's shoulder.

"You're right Nev. I'm just anxious, that's all."

They both could see the lie, but Neville thankfully changed the subject.

"Been hunting some more I see," said Neville, looking at Harry's goods from Mrs. Figg.

Harry grinned. "Of course."

Around the edge of town there was a fence that kept everyone in so that they couldn't escape off the Ministry's radar or try to go to other Districts. The forests that surrounded the area were strictly off limits, but years ago Harry's father, James, and Sirius, and Remus, had been shown a remote area where the fence was broken and one could easily slip in and out of unseen. Harry had been going there to go off and hunt ever since he started and although everyone in Knockturn Alley knew that Harry had to go outside of the fence, no one said anything. They all had to survive after all and to each their own.

"Here, take these."

Neville handed him several different herbs that Harry recognized as basil, mint, and rosemary.

"Nev, you shouldn't. I know your gran is sick and -," but Neville shook his head and cut him off.

"It's fine Harry, really. I best sell these before the sun goes down. I'll see you at the reaping though, yeah?"

Harry nodded and turned away, not wanting to think about the reaping. Instead he focused on selling the last few eggs and returning home to Teddy.

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><p>The next day Harry woke early, helping Teddy get ready for school before going off to the forest. He needed time to clear his head before the reaping tomorrow and he knew that one way to do this was to practice with his wand.<p>

Before the country had fallen into despair and the Ministry had taken total control over everyone owned a wand and could freely practice spells. There was no need to hunt, to worry about a common cold killing you, and one could easily protect themselves, but now things were different. After the Ministry had taken over several regulations were put on the use of wands. Certain spells were banned and when District Thirteen was destroyed the bans became even stricter. Learning how to wield magic with a wand in schools had taken up a great portion of their education before the fall of District Thirteen, but now the spells they learned were common household and healing charms and basic transfiguration. Like Knockturn Alley, it was a well known secret that there were those who still learned the spells of old from before the Ministry took over, although many people had forgotten about them over time.

Harry remembered the first time Sirius had brought him to the forest. He had been five at the time and to Harry they had been walking forever. He was tired and hot with the warm sun beating down on them and when were they going to get to wherever it was Sirius was taking them?

"Through here, Harry. Just a bit further."

Sirius grinned and held open the broken fence, ruffling his hair before slipping through.

"Siri, this is the forest."

Harry stopped before the looming trees. He had heard the tales and stories of the creatures that dwelled in the woods; monsters that came out at night and preyed on humans who were never to be seen again. Despite it being the day Harry was terrified.

"We won't go in far."

Sirius took him by the hand and they entered the woods, Harry's grip tightening as he stared wide-eyed at the trees and his head whipping at the noises within.

They walked a couple hundred yards before stopping, although Harry refused to move far from Sirius. The older man let go of Harry's hand and pulled something out of his pack and Harry instantly recognized it, his face brightening as he forgot all about where he currently was.

"A wand! Is that yours Siri?" Harry asked excitedly, moving closer to look at the long mahogany wand. He had seen both Sirius and Remus use their wands before, but it had been for simple tasks such as cleaning the dishes or healing a cut.

"Yes, it is. Wands can be very dangerous, Harry, so you must be careful with it. I want you to watch."

Harry watched with awe as Sirius transformed a fallen branch into a hissing snake and the snake slithered closer to them. He had never seen Sirius do this kind of magic before and why was he showing him now and in the forest?

The snake was coming closer to them, baring its fangs while it hissed.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted Sirius, pointing his wand at the snake and a jet of green light streamed from it, hitting the snake. The hissing ceased and the body of the animal was lifeless.

Harry turned his head, eyes wide with a mixture of wonder and horror.

"Did you kill it?" Harry whispered, not daring to step closer to the fallen snake.

"Yes. This is why wands are dangerous and why there are many spells that the Ministry doesn't want us to know about or use."

Harry didn't understand it at the time what Sirius was telling him, but years later he did. Sirius was teaching him the ways of the old, how to protect himself in case something ever happened. When Harry was older he asked how the Ministry hadn't detected them doing the prohibited spells.

"The Ministry doesn't watch over the poor Districts like ours as closely and those Districts they do watch over, like Districts One and Two, they'll turn a blind eye to many things. Plus, we're doing it out of the town where things aren't as easily seen or detected."

Harry took his own wand out and began to practice, needing to release the anger and hurt that the memories and the upcoming days were bringing him. He cast offensive and defensive spells, transformed the inanimate twigs and leaves around him into small animals and spiders, casting the Unforgivables, the three spells that were always illegal.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Harry stopped, panting and sweating from the exertion. He lay back on the forest ground and closed his eyes, hoping that the dread that was in his heart had nothing to do with tomorrow being reaping day.

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><p>"Are you alright Harry?"<p>

Harry's eyes fluttered closed at Teddy's words, the boy who was too innocent for his own good sometimes. Teddy knew what today was, but he was sure that the impact of what could happen was not even a mere passing thought for the boy.

Turning, Harry forced a smile. "I'm fine," he said as he set down the porridge and passed a spoon to Teddy. The boy eyed him warily, but said nothing and they ate in silence.

"Well," said Harry after the dishes had been washed by a quick cleaning spell from Teddy. Everyone received a wand at age eleven and ever since Teddy had gotten his wand he was more than eager to help with the chores around the house just so he could practice. "I suppose we should be off to the reaping."

Teddy nodded and Harry put his arm around the young boy, not sure if it was bringing more comfort to Teddy or himself. They walked leisurely towards the center of the district where the reaping would take place at midday.

Even from a distance Harry could already see the packed square, the possible tributes assembling in the center before a large stage where the tributes would be announced. A large, clear, glass bowl was on the center of a small table, the hundreds upon hundreds of names swirling about.

Harry guided Teddy towards the male side of where the tributes were and they found Neville, all echoing hellos. On the other side were the possible female candidates and there was a wide berth around them where the families and other citizens watched, all hoping that somebody they knew wouldn't be called so they could go home and celebrate afterwards.

In the past the two tributes had been a female and male each, but the rules were changed within the past twenty years. If a name was called for the Games another person could volunteer to take their place, male or female, and occasionally there would be only male or female tributes. Harry recalled one year when he watched the Games where out of the twenty four tributes seventeen of them were female.

The sun rose higher in the sky, signaling that soon the reaping would officially begin. Murmurs ran throughout the crowd, but it was low and hushed, the entirety of the district on edge. All fell silent though when a man walked out who was the district chaperone. He had hair the color of wheat and wore outrageously bright, canary yellow robes while his white teeth flashed luminously to the crowd.

"Hello hello District Twelve! Welcome to the reaping for the Hunger Games! My name is Gilderoy Lockhart and I am the district chaperone for this year's tributes!"

The obligatory applause rang throughout the square and all fell silent once more.

"Now," said Lockhart, "how about we bring out Mr. Snape now, hmm? Where on earth is he?"

Lockhart placed his hand over his eyes to shade it from the sun as he over exaggeratedly scanned the crowd.

Severus Snape was the only tribute from District Twelve to have won the games in the seventy four years that they had been going on. He was a dour man that wore all black and was hardly seen about town for he mostly kept to Victor's Village, a place with twelve houses where the winners of the Games lived permanently after they won. The man never seemed friendly and Harry couldn't imagine having to take advice from Snape on the Games.

"Oh there he is!" shouted Lockhart. "Yes, yes, come on up here Mr. Snape! Ladies and gentleman, a round of applause please for your district champion from the Hunger Games!"

People clapped once more as Snape rose to the stage, his expression sour and unpleasant as if he would rather be anywhere than here and Harry had to agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment.

"Shall we officially begin the reaping? Let's! May the odds be ever in your favor!" shouted Lockhart parroting the Ministry slogan for the Games. Lockhart grinned and the citizens fell silent.

Teddy's hand found his and Harry gripped it, the sweat from both of their palms intermingling as they waited for their fate. Harry's heart was pounding and he was sure that the others nearby could hear.

Lockhart reached into the glass bowl with the swirling papers and unfurled the paper, his blue eyes looking up and the permanent grin still etched on his face.

"And our first tribute is…Theodore Lupin!"


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed or added me to your alerts or favorites. This fic will be nine chapters total.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>Harry was stunned at the announcement and he couldn't move, couldn't breathe, until he felt Teddy's grasp in his hand slacken.<p>

"No!" shouted Harry. Before Teddy even had the chance to move forward Harry ran to the platform and stood before Lockhart and Snape. "I'll take his place!"

"Well," began Lockhart, his smiling faltering for never in the history of the Games in District Twelve had someone stepped forward to replace another tribute. "We will have to verify this later, but please, step forward. And what is your name?"

"Harry. Harry Potter."

He was now standing on the platform next to the other two men, but he refused to look out into the crowd to find Teddy's face for if he did he wasn't sure what he would do. His emotions were a jumbled mess and he wasn't quite sure that his mind had caught up to what he just did.

Lockhart's smile widened and the wattage was turned up as he gazed out at the crowd.

"Let's give Harry Potter a big round of applause everybody! How amazing it is to have him step forward and take somebody's place?"

But there was no applause even as Harry braced himself and turned towards the crowd. Teddy was looking at him with unshed tears in his eyes and his expression was one of confusion. Harry closed his eyes for a moment to steady his own turmoil and when he opened them he saw everyone in the crowd touch their three middle fingers of their left hand on their lips and salute to Harry. It was a symbol of honor and symbolic to only those of District Twelve and it spoke volumes to Harry.

Lockhart gave a wary laugh, not quite sure what was happening, but he quickly fixed it when he continued to speak.

"How about we find out who our next tribute is?"

Reaching into the bowl he fished out another piece of paper and took hold of it.

"Our next tribute is Draco Malfoy!"

Once again nobody applauded as the platinum blonde teen stepped forward. Harry recognized him as belonging to one of the wealthier families in the District and he had been in several classes with Harry throughout school. Although the teen was pale, he appeared even paler as he stepped on the platform and took his place next to Harry.

"I now present District Twelve's tributes, Misters Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy!"

The fact that once again silence reigned around the square unnerved Lockhart and caused him to usher the two young men off the stage to be whisked off to District headquarters.

The headquarters were a short walk away from the platform and immediately the two tributes were placed in separate rooms where they were told that their friends and family would have time to visit them briefly before they left that night.

There was no need to say where they were going because Harry knew that they were going to the Ministry where the Games would take place in an arena designed by the Gamemakers, those on a council who decided what the Games would be like every year. Harry remembered in years past the tributes had been placed in a frozen wasteland that only lasted two days because so many died from hypothermia. It was one of the less eventful years and there had been no extreme weather conditions such as that since, but that didn't mean the Gamemakers didn't have other tricks up their sleeves. They would make different obstacles come about throughout the Games when things became too dull such as the flood that occurred when only eight tributes were left just last year and the acromantulas infesting the arena several years before.

Harry was put inside a threadbare room that had a velvet cushioned chair in the center. He sat down, feeling weak in the knees at what had just passed. Oh, Merlin. What would happen to Teddy? The chances of Harry coming back were slim to none and then poor Teddy wouldn't have any family left, but he knew there was nothing to be done about it. He would have taken Teddy's place in the Games a hundred more times if it had to be that way.

The door opened and in came Neville, his face pale and worried.

"Nev!" Harry shouted, standing up and going to his friend. They briefly embraced before Harry quickly began to speak. "I know your gran is sick, but I need you to look after Teddy. He can't do it by himself and he'll need someone familiar around. Please."

"Of course, Harry. Gran is getting better, but you know there was no need to ask me. Teddy will be fine."

A Peacekeeper, Ministry members who were placed throughout the districts to make sure there were no uprisings or rebellions, entered and ordered Neville to leave.

A young boy ran in next, immediately going to Harry and hugging him.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Teddy cried. "This is all my fault."

"No, no, it's not. Not at all," soothed Harry, his hands brushing over Teddy's hair as he tried to keep his own tears from falling. He had to be strong in this moment for Teddy because surely this would be the last time they would see one another. "Just remember I love you, okay? I'm so proud of you, Ted."

Teddy sniffled and nodded before he pulled away and reached into one of his pockets.

"Here," said Teddy. "I want you to have this."

He held out his hand and lying in his palm was an in flight golden phoenix pin. Harry remembered that Remus had given it to Teddy when he was younger and the boy wore it nearly every day.

"I can't take this Teddy. It was your dad's."

"He'd want me to give it to you. To remember us all by."

Harry bit the inside of his cheek as he gently took the pin and put it on his shirt.

The Peacekeeper came in at that moment and Harry knew it was time to leave and bid his final goodbye.

"Remember what I told you, okay?" Harry said once he hugged Teddy again, his words slightly muffled by the boy's brown hair.

Teddy nodded and with a forlorn look and wave the Peacekeeper escorted him out. Harry wanted to collapse into the chair and cry for the first time since both Sirius and Remus passed, but there was no time. Lockhart quickly led him to the train station where they would take an overnight train to the Ministry.

Once on the train he was led to the dining room where an array of different foods sat on a table and immediately his mouth started to water. Food was scarce for many in District Twelve and if these would be Harry's final moments he might as well eat like the Minister.

He sat down, but made no move to fill his plate with the decadent food and neither did Lockhart.

"We're just waiting for Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Snape to join us," the man explained.

Harry nodded when he heard the door slide open to admit Draco.

Draco Malfoy was tall and lean, his platinum hair stood out like a beacon in District Twelve where many were covered in soot from working in the mines and the distinct feature from Twelve was dark hair, tanned skin, and light eyes; all features Harry had, but Draco only possessed grey eyes. He came from the upper-class of District Twelve since his father worked for the mayor so the two had never seen much of each other throughout their seventeen years even though they both had gone to the same school. Draco had been in a few of Harry's classes, but they had never spoken to each other, each having their own group of friends.

Yes, Harry didn't know Draco Malfoy that well, but he would never forget the moment Draco had saved his life.

They had been nine at the time and he was starving. There had been a recent mine explosion so neither Sirius nor Remus had been to work for weeks and they had hardly any food. Hunting had not been successful due to the harsh winter and Harry was desperate to find food. He was sure that young Teddy wouldn't survive much longer if they didn't find food soon.

Rarely did Harry venture to where the merchants and upper-class people of District Twelve lived, but there was nothing to be found in the Seam, the area that Harry lived in.

As Harry trudged through the snow he shivered, the skin on his bones and thin coat not providing any sort of protection from the winter winds or the cold of the snow seeping through. He had already been searching for remnants of food that had been thrown out for well over an hour and had decided to turn around, sure that if he didn't leave soon to go back he wouldn't make it back at all. He barely had the energy to walk and was stumbling when he saw a group of young boys run past, laughing at a joke or game that they were playing. They paid no mind to Harry who looked on with longing, but one boy stopped and turned to stare, not caring that his friends had run past and didn't stop for him.

Tufts of blonde hair stood out from under his hat and his grey eyes reminded Harry of the bleak winter days he was living in right now. The boy continued to stare until he turned and ran, disappearing around a corner. Harry let out a desperate moan, believing that the boy would help him, but instead he ran off. Turning around, he continued to trudge through the thickening snow until he heard a thump and turned to find a loaf of bread lying in the snow. He quickly snatched it when another loaf landed before him. Looking up with wide eyes Harry saw the blonde boy stare at him once more at the corner of the street, their eyes locking before the boy moved and ran once more.

Harry immediately tore a large chunk off the bread and took bites of it, the bread still warm in his mouth and hands. He continued to walk, taking small bites from the piece of bread until he reached home where he proudly set the loaves on the table.

As Draco approached the table and sat down Harry wondered if the blonde remembered all those years ago and what he had done for Harry. Did Draco even remember it was Harry whom he had given it to? He doubted it since from that point forward Draco never acknowledged it to Harry and he supposed it was too late to say thank you anyway.

They sat in silence for a moment until Lockhart began talking, appearing unnerved by the quiet.

"Aren't you two so excited for the Games?" he asked brightly. Draco gave him a dubious look and Harry just stared. He began to ramble about tomorrow how the two would have to prepare for the introduction ceremony where they would ride out in chariots in front of the Ministry.

Thankfully Snape entered, his black robe billowing behind him, and he made no apology for his tardiness.

"Shall we eat now?" said Lockhart and with that they were served dinner. There were several different kinds of meats and soups and Harry had to force himself to eat slowly, knowing that if he ate too fast it would come right back up later that evening.

No words were spoken at dinner and Harry wondered how things would evolve over the next few days. Snape was to be his and Draco's mentor for the Games, giving them tips on how to survive and trying to get as many sponsors for them as possible. The sponsors would be able to send them gifts throughout the Games in times of dire need, but Snape wasn't even acknowledging them so how were either he or Draco supposed to survive?

Dinner ended and Snape rose. "After we arrive at the Ministry we will begin," he briskly said to them and with that he left the room.

Harry looked up and his eyes found Draco's. He knew that they were both thinking the same thing – that the possibility of either of them surviving was slim to none.

* * *

><p>The next morning Harry woke up and took the most luxurious shower he had ever had the pleasure of having. Normally he and Teddy bathed in cold water due to the fact that the heating charms they used lasted a matter of minutes and the water would turn cool in no time. There were about ten different bottles of shampoo and even more bottles for body wash and Harry took his time flipping open the caps and sniffing them, choosing the best scent in the end.<p>

Refreshed, he went down to breakfast to find the other three already sitting down eating.

"Am I late?" Harry asked as his plate was filled with eggs, bacon, an array of fruit, with tea and juice to wash it down with.

Snape sneered and Lockhart was too immersed in their schedule to take notice leaving Draco to answer.

"No, we were just all a tad early."

Harry gave a slight nod and tucked in to the delicious food. When they finished both Harry and Draco moved to the windows where they watched as the Ministry whisked by. Tall buildings surrounded them and he saw people and cars whizz past. He could just imagine the entire place lit up at night with electricity, another luxury that most didn't have in District Twelve.

The train began to slow and Lockhart ushered them to the end carriage where a group of Peacekeepers met them when they arrived. Immediately they were transported to a tall building that appeared to be made out of glass.

"The twelfth floor is ours!" announced Lockhart. He explained that all District Twelve tributes stayed on the twelfth floor, those from District Eleven on the eleventh floor and so on.

The rooms were large and they each had their own separate one and there was a common dining and sitting area.

Lockhart excused himself, saying that he needed to go speak with Harry and Draco's stylists and prep teams for the evening's events. When he left Snape turned towards them, obsidian eyes narrowed and his arms crossed.

"We can do this one of two ways," Snape began. "I can coach you together or separately, you choose. It can be helpful to have an ally in the Games."

There was no need to say the unspoken, that while it would be helpful to have an ally in the beginning in the end you would be forced to kill one another.

Draco glanced at Harry for a moment before turning his attention back to Snape.

"I don't mind being coached together if Harry doesn't mind."

Harry supposed that it wouldn't harm to learn what Snape had to teach them together. Maybe he would find out some strengths of Draco's and be able to exploit them at some point in the Games.

"Very well. Let's begin. Your first lesson is that you two will show the Ministry and the rest of the country that you are allies, not enemies. As you will find the other tributes will not show unity. This will make you stand apart from everyone else and gain attention."

Harry glanced towards Draco and saw him nodding, not once speaking out against Snape. Harry bit his tongue, but what was the point of putting up a unified front when in the end he or someone else would be forced to kill Draco or vice versa?

Over the next several hours Harry found that behind Snape's cool demeanor he was extremely cunning and knowledgeable in the Games. They knew that it was essential to impress the Gamemakers when they had to go to the training arena to show off what skills they knew in order to get a high score. The goal was to get as many sponsors as possible and to make the Ministry adore you. They were warned about the Careers, those tributes from Districts One, Two, and Four who were born and bred to fight in the Games and live a glorified life. The Careers always paired up together and in the beginning they would try to take out as many other tributes as they could.

By early afternoon Harry was hungry once more and thankfully they were allowed to eat before they got ready for the introduction ceremonies. They were shuttled off to their rooms where Harry was met with three perky women, one with long wavy pale purple hair whose eyes had been changed to a bright violet. She wore bright purple lipstick and the rest of her makeup was a varying shade of the color. The other two were twins with dark black hair, and tan skin that had a tinge of orange with golden swirls of tattoos on their faces. They wore gold bangles and had nose piercings with bright red-orange lipstick painted on their lips.

"Oh dear," said the girl with purple hair. "What on earth happened to you?"

The twins tsked and shook their heads, all three circling him and murmuring to one another while Harry frowned.

"Erm, what?" Harry asked.

The violet eyed girl stepped forward again, still shaking her head.

"You will be a lot of work. I'm Lavender and this is Parvati and Padma. Your hair looks like a bird's nest and those terrible glasses. No matter, all will be fixed. Girls."

And so it began. Harry's eyebrows were plucked, drops that stung were poured in his eyes, his nails were filed, cleaned, and his hair was tugged, brushed, and drowned in so many hair products he wondered if it wouldn't all fall out.

"Almost done," said Parvati, or maybe it was Padma. Harry really couldn't tell the two apart. "Oh his eyes will be stunning without those pesky glasses, but no need for them ever again now!"

The drops that made his eyeballs feel like they were on fire had made his vision perfect; it was so clear that Harry was still trying to adjust to it.

"Well girls," said Lavender. They all stepped back and nodded their approval. "I think our work is done. It's time for Fleur now."

There was more? Harry was weary and he hated getting nitpicked over and for clothes of all things.

The three women left and shortly after another woman walked in. Her hair was even paler than Draco's, practically white, and she had sun-kissed skin. Her eyes were an amber color that when looked at closely looked like a ring of gold was around the pupil.

"'Ello," she said with an accent that Harry couldn't quite place. "I am your styleest."

"Hello."

She smiled and Harry noticed that her eyes were outlined in sparkling silver eyeliner, but other than that she had no other body modifications like Lavender, Parvati, or Padma.

"Shall we begin?" She motioned towards the garment bags that had been brought in and Harry nodded.

Unzipping the bag, she brought out a black suite ensemble. The shirt, coat, pants, shoes; every single piece was black except for the yellow-orange tie.

"'Ere, try it on." Harry shed out of his clothes, buttoning the shirt and fumbling with the tie until Fleur came forward and did it for him.

"You are from ze coal mining deestrict, no?"

"Yes. You can't mine until you're eighteen though and you've been through the reaping."

"Every outfit will be a reprezentation of each Deestrict," she explains. She knotted the tie and stepped back, her amber eyes assessing him.

"For exzample, Deestrict Seven iz lumber and paper while Deestrict Three iz electronics. You will find their outfits tonight mirror zis."

"So the tie represents, what? Coal when it's lighted?" Harry asked.

Fleur laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She took Harry gently by the arm and led him to the mirror.

"No, no, no. Just wait for ze show."

Harry was confused, but he forgot her words when he looked up at his reflection. It was the same him, but he looked much different, more…refined. For the first time in his life his hair was tamed and was parted to the side in waves while his green eyes stood out since there was no need for glasses anymore. The suit was fitted and showed off his body and Harry couldn't help but admire the job that the prep team and Fleur did.

"Wow," he said. Fleur laughed once more and nodded her head towards the door.

"We must go," she said. "We can't be late for ze ceremony, now can we?"

She led him out the door and he met Snape, Lockhart, Draco, and Draco's stylist, Fleur's sister Gabrielle. He looked identical to Harry except for his tie which was red-orange.

"We must be going!" announced Lockhart frantically. "We mustn't be late."

Together they all shuffled into the elevator and it went down until the outside world disappeared and they were underground.

When they exited they were in a long tunnel and nearly all the other tributes were already there waiting. Harry recognized what Districts some were from by their outfits as Fleur had said. Two tributes were dressed in palm leaves with fish netting wrapped around them, their hair streaked with aqua blue and Harry knew they were from District Four, known for its fishing abilities.

Harry felt a nudge and he turned to see Draco incline his head towards another set of tributes. Instantly Harry knew that they belonged to District Eleven that specialized in agriculture. On top of each tribute's head was a cornucopia of overflowing goods such as corn, apples, and oranges, while their body garments were stalks of wheat. Draco smirked and Harry couldn't help but snicker as they took in the other outlandish costumes.

Fleur and her sister approached Draco and Harry before they stopped next to the chariot where they would enter the arena last since they were the last District.

"We saved a leetle surprise for you both," said Fleur. "'Ere."

She reached forward and took Harry's right forearm and pressed his cuff button. Immediately flames erupted from his outfit and his initial feeling was panic. He was going to burn before he even had a chance to be slaughtered in the Games!

"Don't panic," Fleur told him. "They're non-flammable and you look exqueesite."

He turned towards Draco to see the same flames emitting from him, but there was something strange about them. They were the normal color of flames, a brilliant dance of yellow, orange, and red, but yes, there was green in them. The same exact color green as the Killing Curse.

"Avada Kedavra green," Harry whispered, entranced by the flames that surrounded Draco.

"Yes," murmured Fleur quietly so no one else could hear, for knowing the curse was illegal. "A sign that you will be dangerous and deadly, no?"

There was no time to answer as they were ushered into the chariot, seeing that the first tributes had already entered the arena.

"Hold hands," Snape hissed at them and Harry felt Draco's slender hand slide into his. "Smile and wave!"

Harry sent Snape a glare for good measure just as the chariot began to pull away.

"I suppose he knows what he's talking about," Draco muttered, the cheers from the arena growing louder as they approached the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, but he's still a git."

Draco smiled and gave a nod. "He's not the most pleasant person."

"That is an understatement."

At the same exact moment that they entered the arena Draco laughed, the camera instantly zooming in on them both. People began to cheer even louder than before and there was screaming and clapping all around them while people gasped and pointed at their costumes.

Harry took a chance to look at the other tributes faces while he plastered a fake smile on his face and waved to the crowd. Most of them were looking at him and Draco with envy and outright hatred, especially the Careers. A tall, almost brutish looking young man from District One was glaring with narrowed eyes and the two with red hair from District Two were sending them looks of pure loathing.

"Look," Harry murmured to Draco, nodding in the direction of the other tributes.

"Well," said Draco after a moment. "It looks like we've already made several new friends."

Harry bit his lip from laughing, but he was sure that his lips quirked upwards anyway. Good. At least Snape would be pleased.

When all the chariots were lined up, the announcer who would interview them the next day for the Games, began to speak. He was an elderly man, but quite vivacious and enthusiastic for his age. Half-moon spectacles adorned his face while he had a long white beard with purple robes that were decorated with slivers of silver moons.

"Welcome to the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games!" he announced. The arena began to scream and shout in earnest and he gave everyone several minutes to revel in the excitement. "My name is Albus Dumbledore and I will be conducting the pre-Games ceremonies. And just look at our wonderful tributes! Can we have a round of applause for them?"

The clapping lasted for several minutes until Dumbledore calmed them and said that tomorrow he would conduct the interviews with all the tributes, causing more cries of excitement.

The chariots began to leave the arena and as soon as Harry and Draco stepped off Fleur and Gabrielle were there to extinguish the flames.

"You all looked wonderful," Fleur told them. "Ze crowd loved you."

Harry looked towards Snape to see if he would praise them or reproach them about how they acted, but he merely ignored the two and they along with all the tributes headed towards the elevator.

Everyone entered the elevator and one by one the tributes and their teams got off at their floor until the tributes from District Eleven had just gotten off and only Harry, Draco, Snape, Lockhart, Fleur, and Gabrielle were left. It was just as silent as it was before when all the other tributes and their teams were there and Harry felt exhausted. He had been poked, prodded, styled, and forced to act like he and Draco would be working together in the Games when all he wanted to do was take off the suit and get in the shower to wash away the many products that had been piled on him.

The elevator doors opened and everyone shuffled out, Lockhart bidding them goodnight, but reminding them that breakfast began at eight-thirty. Harry and Draco each thanked Fleur and Gabrielle before they too left leaving the two tributes alone with their mentor.

"I would say I'm impressed with your performance tonight, but I'm not, although it was clear that the people loved you. Tomorrow we will work on your interviewing skills."

With that Snape left without bidding them goodnight and Harry frowned at the man's back.

"Well, goodnight then," said Draco.

Harry only nodded, too tired to notice or really care about Draco at the moment.

The next morning after breakfast the two tributes went in the living area and sat on the small couch, Snape standing in front of them.

"Alright. From our previous training meetings it is clear that one of you is more articulate than the other." At this he gave Harry a pointed look who glared back.

"So what?" Harry retorted spitefully. "I won't need words to work with in the arena."

"No," snapped Snape, his dark eyes glaring at Harry. "That you won't, but you will need them to gain over sponsors. What will you do when you are injured and in dire need? If you have no sponsors you won't receive any gifts."

The two continued to stare angrily at one another until Draco spoke.

"The interview is only three minutes. I'm sure if Harry just answers Dumbledore's questions directly and smiles then things will go fine."

There was a pause until Snape looked at Draco and gave a nod.

"Yes, that will be best. Don't say anything stupid, Potter. The last thing we need is for the Ministry to hate you and for the Gamemakers to have it out for you before you're even in the arena."

Harry's fists clenched and he felt Draco's hand cover his as if to tell him to not let Snape get to him.

"I will see you both tonight."

With that dismissal Snape turned and left the room, leaving the two boys alone.

"He irritates me to no end. I swear he's finding a way to kill me rather than save me," Harry grumbled.

"He knows he grates on your nerves and vice versa and you shouldn't rise to the bait."

"Easy for you to say. He likes you."

Draco laughed and they both stood up, walking down the hall towards their rooms where their stylists would shortly meet them.

"I don't think Snape likes people in general."

Harry had to concede that point and he smiled. "That's true. I'll see you tonight."

Draco nodded and they went into their separate rooms.

Snape came to see him shortly before Fleur was due to arrive and help him with his outfit.

"Potter," Snape greeted. Harry said nothing and merely looked at his mentor. He wondered for the first time how Snape had won the Games and why he never seemed to flaunt it in 12 unlike many in the other Districts.

"I'm here to give you advice on your interview. Be charming, smile, and act like you are enjoying your time here in the Ministry. Show your excitement for everything that Dumbledore inquires about."

Harry snorted and shook his head, his eyes narrowing at older man.

"You're one to talk. 'Be charming and smile.' You expect us to be happy that we are walking to our deaths? And even if Draco or I win who's to say we won't turn out like you?"

A glint of anger flickered across Snape's eyes and his jaw clenched. He stepped forward, but Harry stood rooted to the same spot, not once thinking of backing down.

"Do you want a chance of survival Potter? Of seeing your family again? Then you must follow my rules and fight," he hissed.

Two pairs of narrowed eyes glared at one another until the words sunk in. Snape was right, as much as Harry didn't want to admit it, but he had to think of Teddy. If Harry didn't bother to try and win Teddy would have no one left and he simply couldn't give up so easily.

Sensing that Harry had deflated somewhat Snape took a step back.

"I will see you this evening."

With a swirl of his robes Snape left and Harry sat on his bed, turbulent thoughts floating through his head as he tried to gather them together and sort out what he needed to do.

Perhaps Snape and Draco were right, that they should be allies at first in the Games. Harry knew that if it came down to it he would kill Draco in order to get back to Teddy, but maybe the two of them could work together somehow. He would have to divulge secrets to the blonde eventually, but those could wait until they got to the arena.

His thought process was interrupted by Lavender, Padma, and Parvati who began to chatter incessantly as they pulled him in the bathroom. There was less poking and prodding, but plenty of hair products were added to tame his hair once more and the girls dusted bronzer over his already tan skin.

"You'll appear even more glowing and handsome than you already are," Lavender explained when he protested at first, saying that there was no need for boys to wear makeup.

Fleur interrupted them and once she gave her approval the prep team flitted off leaving Harry in peaceful silence.

"Any flames tonight?" Harry joked.

Fleur smile and shook her head, her white hair shaking with her.

"No, not tonight. But we shall steeck with ze fire theme. 'Ere."

She turned to pull something out of her bag and Harry saw that it looked like a black pencil. "For your eyzes" she explained. "Your eyzes are green and we want to accent zem." She put a thin line of black around the edge of his eyes before stepping back and nodding silently to herself.

"Now, for your outfit." She handed Harry a pair of black leather pants that he eyed warily, but put on anyway. Then she handed him a black button up shirt similar to what he wore yesterday.

"We are leaving ze top few buttons undone. Watch," she instructed.

Harry saw her push a button and the bottom of his leather pants seemed to glow softly, orange, red, and yellow, brushing the bottom of his pants.

"Burning coal," he stated, staring in awe as the colors seemed to move slowly as if burning.

"Yes. No green tonight. We do not want questions alzough if Dumbledore asks you say it was to match your eyzes."

Harry nodded and once he received Fleur's appraisal they left the room to find themselves the first in the living area besides Lockhart who was wearing a bright orange robe. He seemed to be catching on to the coal and fire theme and was dressed appropriately.

He heard a door open down the hall and saw Snape approaching followed by Gabrielle and Draco. Last night he didn't give much thought to Draco because of his nerves at seeing his fellow tributes and being in the Ministry for the first time, but in the pants and all black his breath caught at the sight of him. Draco was slim, slimmer than Harry thought he was, and this was accentuated by the black pants. If one knew what most people looked like in District Twelve they would think that Draco was oddly out of place with his criminally pale skin and light blonde hair. Harry knew that there was only one word to describe Draco as: beautiful.

"Ready are we?" asked a chipper Lockhart. "One of the most important events leading to the Games, you know," he barked as they walked towards the elevator. "Besides tomorrow's training before the Gamemakers of course."

Harry rolled his eyes and Draco smirked, turning his head to hide it.

The elevator descended below ground where they were to wait until each tribute would be called individually to the interview with Dumbledore. The interview would last for three minutes and it and tomorrow's training were the most crucial parts of the pre-Games ceremonies because it was when potential sponsors could gauge out which tributes they would support.

"Potter will go first," Snape instructed them as they waited in the tunnel. They could hear loud cries and cheers as the first tribute, Cho Chang from District One, was called out. "Draco will be the final tribute so please, try to be memorable for the three minutes you are up there. And charming." He shot this last statement towards Harry with a pointed look and Harry resisted snapping back and rolling his eyes.

"I think we can manage," Draco interrupted, trying to appease the tension that floated between Snape and Harry.

"Very well," was all he said and they all fell in silence as they waited, watching one by one as the tributes were taken off in to the arena. Finally they watched as the tall, muscular, dark skinned boy from District Eleven went off and Harry felt the butterflies in his stomach leap into his mouth.

'All you have to do is answer the questions and smile,' Harry repeated to himself as he tried to calm his nerves. He never even noticed Fleur come up to him.

"Shall we turn on your costume?" she asked and Harry nodded in reply. Seconds later Snape turned to him.

"You're on Potter. Don't disappoint me."

Harry sent him a glare before turning and walking to the end of the tunnel. He could hear Dumbledore just through the doors and the buzzing of the crowd.

"Now for our final District, District Twelve! Our first tribute is Harry Potter!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and Harry closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and then opening them. He pasted on a smile only a moment before the arena doors opened.

The lights were bright, brighter than Harry recalled from last night, but he kept his eyes firmly on Dumbledore who was donning a cerulean colored robed that was trimmed in gold. He stepped onto the stage and Dumbledore smiled serenely at him and shook Harry's hand.

"Mr. Harry Potter! You hail from District Twelve, which as we all know is the coal producing district. I see your stylist has done an immaculate job with your costumes this year!"

Harry stepped back and grinned, thinking of Fleur and last night's fire costume with the green flames.

"Yes, she has done an excellent job. The best out of all the costumes if I do say so myself."

Dumbledore chuckled and a murmur of laughter rang throughout the arena. The older man's expression sobered as the laughter died down and Harry felt his palms begin to sweat. He resisted the urge to wipe them on his costume and instead focused on Dumbledore.

"Now Harry, we all saw the footage of what happened that day in the reaping. What was going through your mind when Theodore Lupin's name was called?"

Harry was not quite sure what questions Dumbledore would be asking and he should have been more prepared for this question of them all, but he wasn't. Even Teddy's name brought an ache to his chest and he knew that he had to be strong for him, especially in front of the cameras.

"Well, Teddy is like a younger brother to me and he's still so young. When I heard his name I knew I couldn't let him go in so I volunteered."

The truth. Just go with the truth. He recited this in his head while listening to Dumbledore's next question.

"Ahh, I see. It was very heartbreaking to us all. I'm sure you had an emotional goodbye when you left."

Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He wondered if these questions were asked to make one look weak, to try and infiltrate into the tributes' minds before the Games had even started. Harry refused to let it work.

"Yes," was his reply.

"Tell me," Dumbledore said quickly when he realized that there would be no further response. "This is your first time at the Ministry, is it not?" Harry nodded. "Tell me what you like best about it."

"The food," Harry instantly replied with. There was laughter and his cheeks heated somewhat before he smiled. "The hot showers are nice too."

"The food and showers! What is your favorite food that you've had the privilege of eating?"

"Treacle Tart."

There was more laughter and Dumbledore nodded and smiled in agreement.

"Oh yes, it is delicious. Have you tried the shepard's pie yet? You simply must!"

"I'll be sure to do so."

There was a ding of a bell and Harry felt relieved at the sound, knowing that his three minutes were up.

"Well there you have it!" called out Dumbledore. "Harry Potter from District Twelve!"

Harry gave one last big grin before he left the arena on the opposite side of which he entered. He saw all the other tributes sitting and standing in a large room with their mentors, stylists, and prep team, all of their eyes trained on the several different television screens that were playing the interviews. When Harry entered many eyes turned towards him, many glaring at him.

He ignored them and saw Fleur, Lavender, Parvati, and Padma and went to their sides where they stood towards the back. Fleur smiled at him and squeezed his hand, but remained silent for Dumbledore was announcing Draco's name.

"And our very last tribute for this year's Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games is Draco Malfoy from District Twelve!"

The thrum of the arena could be heard from the room even without the television. Harry saw Draco walk out from the tunnel, his blonde hair blazing brightly in the luminous lights. The embers from the coals snaked up and down Draco's ankles and calves like Harry's had and there was no doubt that the past two nights they had both been mesmerizing in their costumes.

Draco's smile didn't seem forced like Harry was sure his was and he stood next to Dumbledore as if at ease.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy! As I was telling your fellow tribute earlier, your costumes are smashing."

"Of course they are," replied Draco quickly and doing a quick spin. "I'm sure the other tributes are burning with desire to have our stylists."

There was laughter throughout the arena and Draco smiled wryly out at the crowd.

"Now, Draco, we're all friends here. Tell me, do you have a secret that you would like to share with the crowd? After all, time is of the essence now."

There was a hushed silence over the arena and in the waiting room that Harry was currently in. He watched Draco's mouth form a thin line for only a moment before it quirked into a smile. Dumbledore beamed back as if he knew that Draco would divulge the secret to him and only him and not to the entire world.

"Well, there is something, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about telling it before I've even had the chance to tell the person."

"Ooohh so there is someone else involved? I'm sure they won't mind seeing as the Games are only a short while away!"

The unspoken fact that it was highly likely that Draco would return from the Games didn't seem to faze the blonde and he frowned slightly.

"I just hope he won't be too terribly upset at the news, but I suppose I just ought to say it because you're right, Dumbledore. None of us have much time left."

The frown had dissipated and Draco looked directly into the camera with his grey eyes, the arena waiting with bated breath at this juicy bit of gossip brought to them by a tribute all the way from District Twelve.

"I'm in love with Harry Potter."


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

A/N: I mis-counted how many chapters the fic will have. There will be eight total. Please review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

* * *

><p>Murmurs ran throughout the crowd while several people cried out in astonishment. Harry felt his body freeze when Draco declared his love for Harry in front of the entire country and he held his breath. Draco loved him? But how? Why? They hadn't spoken to each other at all until they were on the train to the Ministry.<p>

He felt the eyes of everyone in the room settle on him until Dumbledore's voice broke through everyone's train of thoughts.

"Harry Potter? Your fellow tribute?"

Draco nodded, a forlorn look on his face while his eyes were turned towards Dumbledore.

"Yes, the very same one."

"And Mr. Potter has no idea?"

"No. We never spoke to each other before we came here. I'm sure he's as surprised as everyone else."

Dumbledore nodded, his own look pensive at this turn of events. A love doomed from the start all because of the Games. Only one could survive and it was impossible for anything to come of Draco's declaration.

"This is very tragic news, Draco. Only one of you could possibly survive."

"Yes, I realize this, but you asked for a secret and I gave you one."

The bell chimed, ending the interview and any further questions about the new grievous turn of events for the tributes of 12.

When the door opened to the room all eyes except Harry's moved towards Draco. He refused to look at the blonde, not sure what to even think about what Draco had told Dumbledore and thus all of the Ministry and Districts.

Everyone was ushered towards an elevator and Harry ignored the sidelong glances that Snape sent towards him as if trying to gauge his reaction. Slowly the other tributes and their teams left until they were alone.

As soon as the doors opened Harry fled the elevator and went to his room, ignoring Snape calling his name and his grumbling stomach. He refused to eat dinner with the rest of them and just wanted to crawl into bed. Instead he went to the bathroom and turned on the taps to the shower, shedding his costume and stepping under the hot streams of water.

How could Draco say something like that? Did he not realize that it was impossible for Harry to return his feelings? The Games were less than two days away and soon they would be fighting one another, perhaps even forced to kill the other. What good did Draco think his declaration of love would be?

Harry refused to think about the issue any longer as he got into bed. Nothing good could come of what Draco had said and Harry could do nothing about it so it was pointless to continue to think about it. He needed to focus on the Games and trying to survive. Yes, that was more important than love.

* * *

><p>Harry found himself first at breakfast the next morning and minutes after Snape arrived the man began to question him.<p>

"And why did you suddenly disappear last night?"

Harry shrugged, refusing to rise to the bait as he buttered a piece of toast.

"I was tired."

His mentor narrowed his eyes and glanced around the room to make sure no one was approaching.

"What Draco said last night is good, Potter. Don't you realize that? The Ministry will eat up a tragic love story and you two will be favorites. If it wasn't for Draco I think the two of you could have been doomed."

Harry noted the jab to his own interviewing skills, but he brushed that aside.

"So what are you telling me to do? Pretend to love Draco back? If you haven't already noticed I'm not the best actor," he said dryly.

Snape leaned forward, his jaw set and eyes focused on Harry entirely. "If you want to get as far in the Games as one can hope then you'll realize what is best for you and this is it. I expect you to do as told."

Harry glared and it was only due to the entrance of Draco and Lockhart that the turned away from each other and back to their meals.

"Good morning, good morning!" sing-songed Lockhart. "Today is your time in the training arena and later this afternoon you'll have your private show with the Gamemakers before you'll receive a score."

All of the tributes would go to the arena to learn or show off skills that they knew that could help them in the Games. After the training period they would eventually be called back one by one to show off their best skills to the Gamemakers who would give them a score between zero and twelve, twelve being the best. These scores would tell who had the best chance at survival in the Games based off of their skills and the scores would be televised that evening.

Harry chanced a glance at Draco who appeared calm and collected as if last night he said nothing about loving Harry. He frowned, thinking that this was oddly strange, but he pushed the thought away. It was for the best anyway.

They would be leaving for the arena shortly, but they had a brief training session with Snape first or so Harry thought. Harry was waiting in the sitting room for them both when only Snape entered.

"Where's Draco?"

"He's asked to be trained alone from now on."

What? So Draco tells everyone his love for Harry and now wants to be away from him? It made no sense. In fact it made him angry and he was sure Snape could perceive this since the dark haired teen wasn't good at hiding his emotions.

"Fine," Harry spat back. "Well, let's start."

* * *

><p>Harry took to ignoring Draco in the training arena, although if the blonde noticed he didn't act like he did. The training arena had several different stations such as camouflage, knot making, wand spells, archery, and even broom flying. He began with the knives station because he knew at the start of the Games there was no magic allowed and he didn't want to show off his archery or wand skills. Only when a good number of tributes had been killed off did that come in to play.<p>

There were no rules in the Games, unlike life in the districts and Ministry. When wands were available in the Games any spell was able to be used. Back in the day the Unforgiveable were the main ones that were wielded, but once they were banned within the country less and less people used them because they had become forgotten and they certainly did not the tributes them how to cast them in training.

Only one other girl was with him at the station. She had bushy brown hair and chocolate eyes and she eyed the knives warily. She looked to be around Harry's age, maybe a year or two younger. He couldn't remember what district she was from.

The trainer at the station told him he was already pretty good with a knife, but he showed Harry how to be more accurate with his hit. The girl floundered and was still there when Harry moved to the next station on his list, that with the brooms.

Brooms were expensive and hardly anyone in District Twelve owned one. He wasn't even sure if Draco did, but the Malfoys could quite possibly afford one since Draco's father worked for the mayor. He hadn't seen Draco go to this station so he was unsure. The instructor show him how to hold the hand over the broom and command it to come to him by saying forcefully "Up!" The broom instantly went to his hand and the instructor praised him. He demonstrated how to kick off although in the training area they only hovered a few feet off the ground. He was sure that it was quite different out in the open when one wasn't restricted by space.

Soon they were all called to the cafeteria to lunch and he immediately noticed the Careers, the Asian girl and the boy with the thick accent, the two redheaded siblings, along with another boy with auburn hair and girl with dark brown hair sitting together. Harry knew that the first two, Cho Chang and Viktor Krum, were from District One while those from District Two were the Ron and Ginny Weasley. Harry recalled the other two from District Four were Oliver Wood and Pansy Parkinson.

He sat down at a table observing the other tributes. Some tributes appeared extremely young with hardly any strength and others, like dark skinned boy who was sitting with the girl Harry was at the knives station with, were extremely toned and muscular. He wondered why this boy wasn't sitting with the Careers even if he didn't come from a Career District.

"Mind if I sit?"

He instantly recognized Draco's voice and for a moment he wanted to turn the blonde away, but nobody else seemed willing to join Harry. He wasn't desperate for company, but he wasn't going to be spiteful towards Draco just because he didn't return the other's feelings.

"Go ahead."

Draco sat down and didn't speak for several moments until he gave a slight nod towards the Careers.

"I see they've already formed a pack. Didn't take very long."

"No, but that's the way it always is, isn't it?"

Draco nodded in assent. "I suppose. So who do you think the leader is?"

They both assessed the Career group, finding their heads all put together with furtive glances towards the other tributes.

"Not the Weasleys. There's no way one would let the other be leader before the other had a chance. It has to be a male because neither Chang nor Parkinson look like they would take charge over Wood or Krum," replied Harry.

"It's Krum," Draco replied after they were silent for a few moments. "Watch the others."

Harry saw that Krum was speaking and the others were listening attentively although Wood seemed to be glaring slightly.

"Either Krum or Wood will kill the other before the Games get too far into it," Draco added. "It'll be a battle of dominance between the two and my bet is on Krum. He's larger and quicker with a weapon."

Harry's head turned towards Draco and he peered at the blonde. "How do you know?"

Draco shrugged in reply, his fork swirling in his mashed potatoes and gravy. "I saw him in the arena this morning. He wanted to show off to the others, to make sure they knew he was a threat." Draco rolled his eyes. "As if we didn't already know."

"You're observant," Harry stated, setting down his utensils and pushing away his tray of food.

"Sometimes it's better to sit back and watch others before you make a plan."

Were those words meant for Harry? Was Draco trying to tell him something, perhaps about what had transpired last night during his interview? At this thought Harry felt himself frown, that maybe Draco had only said the words for the Games.

As soon as lunch was over they went back to the arena for a short period of time before being ushered back to the cafeteria where one by one they were called to perform for the Gamemakers. They were given fifteen minutes each to show off their best skills and halfway through the waiting process Harry took to pacing. Draco didn't say one word to him the entire time.

Finally his name was called and he followed a trainer out of the cafeteria and towards the arena.

All of the objects were in their place at the appropriate station. Above the main floor was an area that the Gamemakers could look down on to observe the tributes. Harry noted that they had an array of different foods sitting before them and several of them were eating.

He first went to the archery station where he practiced with the slightly different bows, each of his shots hitting the intended targets. A sidelong glance towards the Gamemakers showed Harry that they were hardly paying him any attention and the Head Gamemaker who was in charge of the design of this year's Games, Barty Crouch, was busy indulging in a turkey leg.

With eyes narrowed and anger bubbling inside him he went to the wand station and picked up a wand. It felt different than his wand, but it was light and with a swish and flick he thought it would do. Green eyes trained on the Gamemakers' table and he pointed his wand at Barty Crouch.

"Imperio!"

The casting of the spell caused several of them to pause with wide eyes, wondering who among them the curse had been cast on.

"Pay attention to what I'm doing," Harry said evenly and with venom in his voice.

Everyone watched in awe as Barty Crouch set down his food and turned his head towards Harry.

"Now watch me."

Harry knew the curse would last for several minutes and he took the opportunity to go back to the archery station. He picked up an arrow and set it in his bow before turning it towards the Gamemakers' once more.

There were gasps and several of them ducked, but Harry aimed for the large turkey sitting in the center of the table. The arrow flew through the air silently and hit the target causing more gasps although many of them sounded like those of relief.

He set the bow down and picked up the wand again and whispered "Finite."

Barty Crouch appeared to be dazed for a moment before wide eyes rested on Harry below.

Harry smiled and said, "Thank you for watching me."

With that he walked out of the arena, not caring that he still had five minutes left.

* * *

><p>"You what?" roared Snape.<p>

Harry had told them at their last training practice before dinner and the televised scores what occurred during the training session.

"They weren't paying any attention and I had to make them notice me so I imperiused Barty Crouch."

"You cast an Unforgiveable on the Head Gamemaker," Snape stated monotonously. Harry knew he was in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Potter!" Snape shouted in anger, his normally pale face becoming red.

"What's wrong?" Draco peeked his head into Harry's room, grey eyes taking in Snape's form and Harry's nonchalance towards whatever the issue was.

"You've ruined your chances!" Snape hissed at him and with a swift turn he barged out of the room, not caring that he almost knocked over Draco.

As Draco stepped into the room he raised his eyebrows at Snape's actions. "He seems rightly ticked off. It wouldn't have anything to do with your training with the Gamemakers would it?"

"He wasn't pleased with my talents."

Draco laughed in disbelief and shook his head. Harry thought Draco had a nice laugh, but he pushed that thought out of his head. He couldn't afford to start liking Draco now when the Games started tomorrow. And what about what Draco said earlier? Harry wasn't even sure if what Draco had said was true.

"How do you think yours went?" Harry asked politely.

"Alright I suppose," Draco replied with a shrug. "Definitely not a Career score."

Careers usually scored an 8 or above and those were the scores everyone aimed for.

"I'm sure you did fine."

"You don't have to do that," Draco said softly.

Harry looked up from where he was sitting on his bed. "Do what?"

The blonde smiled wryly. "Try and make things seem better than they are. Everyone knows what the Games hold."

Harry glanced back down. He wasn't trying to make things easier than what they really were and he wasn't quite sure why he said what he did in the first place. Maybe Draco was rubbing off on him.

"I think we should get to dinner."

Together they walked down the hall to the dining area, Harry not surprised when Snape didn't eat with them. That was perfectly fine with Harry and one good thing about the Games' start tomorrow was that he didn't have to see his mentor anymore.

When it was time to see the scores revealed both Draco and Harry's prep teams along with Fleur, Gabrielle, Lockhart, and Snape came to watch too.

First came Minister Tom Riddle's face on the screen with the country anthem playing in the background. The man had black hair and skin with a grey pallor, but the most striking feature of Minister Riddle was his eyes. They were a few shades darker than blood red and Harry couldn't look very long at the screen due to the piercing eyes. Minister Riddle recited the reasoning for the Hunger Games and then he led into the scoring.

Cho Chang's picture came up first and her score beneath. 9. Next was Krum who received a 10 and so on. As predicted, all the Careers received an 8 or above. Harry was surprised when he saw the girl from training with the brown hair, who belonged to District Eleven, receive a 7. The other tribute from 11, Blaise Zabini, received a 10.

When it finally came to District Twelve Harry knew that his score would be as low as could be due to the spectacle with the Gamemakers. How could they possibly give him an even remotely good score after placing Barty Crouch under the Imperius?

"Harry Potter," recited Dumbledore's voice on the television. "11."

There was silence as they all took in what they just heard. He received an 11. The highest score yet.

He took a chance and glanced at Snape who was staring at him like Harry was a puzzle and he was trying to figure it out.

Their attention was turned back to the screen when Dumbledore announced Draco's name.

"Draco Malfoy. 8."

Draco's picture disappeared and Minister Riddle came back on the screen to inform the country that the Games would start tomorrow afternoon. The anthem played before the screen went black.

The television was turned off before the stylists and prep teams congratulated the two young men on their scores and then left.

Snape turned towards him, the surprise at Harry's score erased and replaced by a stern look.

"I think we should watch old tapes of the Games now," was all that he said. The two boys agreed and settled in for a couple hours watching as old victor's won and what had caused the other tributes' deaths.

Eventually Snape turned the videos off and bid them good night, but it was only minutes after Harry got to his room that there was a knock.

"Potter."

Harry said nothing as Snape entered and hovered near the entrance.

"It would still be wise to play along with what the Ministry wants. A fated love story that will no doubt end horridly, but they thrive off of that."

"Why?" Harry replied bitterly, taken aback by his tone of voice. Was he really that upset over what Draco had said to him in the cafeteria during training? "Do you want to know what Draco said to me yesterday? He said sometimes it's better to sit back and watch before making a move. Do you not think that's what this all is? Some part of the Games where he is trying to gain sponsors?"

Snape sighed in frustration and glared at Harry. "Honestly Potter, you think Draco would do that? Not everyone is as calculating as you are."

With that parting shot Snape left Harry in an even more turbulent state than before. Is that what he really was, a calculating bastard on the path to being like Snape?

The thoughts rattled Harry as he tried to sleep that night, but sleep was not coming to him so he threw back the covers and wandered out of the rooms.

He ended up in front of the elevator and he examined the different buttons seeing the numbers 1 through 12 and a button that read ARENA. One more read ROOF. He pushed this button and the silver doors closed as it rose the single level above.

When he stepped off the elevator he found that he was not alone. Draco was staring out at the sprawling Ministry below, its buildings and bright lights shining while they saw small cars drive by on the streets below.

"Hey," Harry said quietly.

Draco turned and smiled sadly. "Hello."

Harry joined him and looked at the city that was so different than what Harry was used to.

"It makes you think of District Twelve. This is like a palace compared to what we're used to," he said.

"I know, but then again we're in the Ministry where they live the life of luxury. The products that all the Districts use go to the Ministry so of course they can live this way."

They fell into silence until Draco slid down the wall and sat on the concrete ground, his eyes falling closed. Harry eyed him warily, wondering if he was going to sleep out here, but he said nothing and sat down next to him. After the long period of silence Harry really did think the blonde was asleep until he spoke quietly.

"Are you afraid?"

There was no need to ask of what Draco was referring to because what else could he be speaking of besides the Games?

"No," Harry replied honestly. "Not yet anyway. Are you?"

Draco opened his grey eyes and he stared at Harry. "I don't think it really matters whether or not I'm afraid. I'm going to die in the arena and I've been preparing for it ever since my name was called."

"You don't know that," Harry told him, his voice sounding hollow to his own ears because they both knew what the chances were. He wondered once more why he was trying to cheer Draco up.

"There are twenty-four of us, Harry. Only one wins. I'm not the strongest and more than likely not the smartest. The odds aren't in my favor. I just wish…"

At this Draco broke off and he looked away from Harry. His expression was one of helplessness and for the first time Harry felt something other than the pressure and worry from the Games. Draco turned back to Harry and shook his head.

"I just wish there was some way to show the Ministry that even though I'm a part of their games that they don't own me. That I'm still Draco and they can't control me."

Harry said nothing for a long time as he thought about Draco's words because in a way the blonde was right. Everyone was a part of a game that the Ministry controlled and they used the Hunger Games to prove this. They could kill the children at a whim and should people ever be forced to kill one another just for the amusement of people? But there was nothing Harry or Draco could do so what point was it to wonder over it? The only thing that he had to focus on was surviving the Games.

"I can't think like that," Harry finally said. "I need to survive."

"Don't we all?"

Draco stood and bid him goodnight, Harry watching Draco in the elevator, his form so utterly defeated that Harry was sure he didn't stand a chance in the Games when there was no will to win.

Eventually he went back to his room and had a fitful night's sleep. His dreams were filled with the reaping and Draco's interview and when he finally awoke there was no going back to sleep.

He went down to breakfast where everyone was eating in silence because the Games were only a few short hours away. They had one last training meeting each with Snape.

"Remember," Snape told him. "Don't go for the cornucopia first. Run where you can be hidden and find water first. That is most important."

In every Game there was a cornucopia that had weapons, food, and other highly prized items that could help in their survival. The Careers always went after it first and several tributes were always slaughtered.

Harry nodded and was dismissed to a light lunch before Fleur whisked him off his rooms to dress.

"You want to wear sometheeng light and eazy to run in," she explained. "But it also must keep in your body 'eat."

The outfit was indeed light and his shirt was a green lightweight and he hoped that she was right about keeping in his body heat in case the weather conditions were less than desirable.

"'Ere," she said. She took the phoenix pin that Teddy had given her and pinned it over his chest.

"Ze phoeniz that burns," she stated.

Harry hugged the woman, knowing that words could not express his thanks. Together they walked to the elevator and went to a private room. Snape would be gone to wherever mentors went for the duration of the Games and Draco would be led by Gabrielle to where he would enter the Games.

The room held a round glass cylinder surrounding a raised platform that would transport Harry to the transformed arena. He stepped on the platform, the glass column closing around him, and stared at Fleur.

"You will win, 'Arry," she said. "You must believe that."

Harry could only nod before the anthem began to play and then an automated voice began to countdown from twenty. As the voice counted down the platform began to rise, Fleur disappearing from sight as all became dark.

For the first time since the reaping panic rose in Harry's chest.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

* * *

><p>"Seven…six…"<p>

The automated voice was counting down and Harry looked wildly at the other tributes, the Careers poised to run straight for the cornucopia while others were looking around franticly. Harry took the last few seconds to glance at his surroundings. To the left of Harry was a large lake and beyond that he could see nothing. Maybe it dropped off, but he sure as hell wasn't going to find out. They were currently standing in an open area, but to the right were woods and he knew that was his best bet.

"Three…two…"

His eyes turned towards the large cornucopia that stood upright with its opening at the top. Below it at the base laid the prized possessions.

He knew he shouldn't go after anything and to listen to what Snape said, to run and find water first, but he already spotted the bow and arrows. He wanted them.

There was the sound of a bell going off and instantly Harry ran as fast as he could towards the cornucopia. Somehow several Careers along with Blaise Zabini were already there and the bow and arrows had been taken.

He realized he needed to get out of there, and fast, before it became a bloodbath so he grabbed the only thing he could, a bright orange backpack and ran for the woods. The whistle of a knife going past him only made him run faster.

He wasn't sure how long he had been running for, but he kept going further and further into the forest. When he was out of breath he paused, not seeing or hearing anyone else around him. As he caught his breath he took the opportunity to open the backpack which he realized he would need to try and disguise later. The orange would be too much of a giveaway if anyone came out this way. Somehow the Gamemakers would make them all come together and fight after the initial bloodshed was over with. There was no doubt about that.

Inside the backpack was a thin rolled up sleeping bag that he knew would come in handy. There was a small hunting knife, rope, and dried fruit and beef. There were better things in there than he expected.

First thing first was he needed to find water. Continuing to walk, he looked down at the ground to try and find any sort of clue that he was near a water source, but there was no damp ground or animals nearby to give him any indication. Sighing, he continued forward.

For the next several hours as he searched for water he spotted no animals, water, nor heard any other tributes, except for the canon that had gone off perhaps an hour earlier. Harry had looked to the sky to see the faces of ten different tributes appear in the sky. The initial battle at the cornucopia was over with and now there were fourteen of them left, six of them Careers, the girl and boy named Hermione and Blaise from 11, Draco, himself, and four others who Harry couldn't place at the exact moment.

He was getting thirsty and hungry, but he knew if he ate the thirst would be even worse. Stopping for a moment, Harry slumped down against a tree and opened the backpack to pull out a few pieces of the dried fruit. After the first couple of bites the food began to stick in his mouth and he couldn't eat anymore even if he tried. He needed water and soon or else he wouldn't make it through the first day of the Games.

Harry pushed himself off the ground and began to trudge further into the woods, but as the sun began to set the thirst was becoming too much. He needed to stop and find someplace to sleep for the night because he knew from watching the Games in the past that wicked things lurked in the night.

There was no shelter that he could see and it was out of the question to return to the lake even if he did want water. The Careers would for sure make camp there and it was a guaranteed death sentence to return so he began to climb the nearest tree. Harry had never quite made camp in a tree before, but he positioned himself over two adjacent branches, unrolling his sleeping bag and making sure to tie it to the tree so he wouldn't fall out. It wasn't comfortable, but the Careers and night creatures couldn't get him from there.

The steaming sunlight woke him the next morning and with much reluctance he put away his things in the backpack and trekked on in search of water. He was sure that if he did not find water by noon he would die of dehydration. Where were Snape and the sponsors right now in this moment of need? Did Snape really want him to die so badly that he wouldn't even send Harry a bottle of water? His tongue felt like sandpaper and he couldn't even form spit in his mouth while his lips were cracked and he stumbled when walking.

Would Snape really let him die like this? As much as Harry disliked the other man and vice versa he was sure that Snape would not intentionally let one of his tributes die which meant that Harry had to be close to water.

Green eyes darted towards the ground and there – he saw it. It appeared to be some sort of rabbit, although its grey coat looked more blue and its ears were abnormally large. It wasn't the sort of animal that he hunted in District Twelve, but where there were animals there had to be water.

He pursued the hopping animal and he heard it before he saw it. There it was – a small stream of clear water. Bending down to the stream he cupped his hands and started drinking in earnest. When he had his fill he took his shirt off and rubbed the cool water over his body, cleansing off the sweat and dirt that had clung to him from running and the exertion thus far.

Now that he found his water source he needed to hunt even though he only had a small knife. He had only used a knife a handful of times in the past, but it would have to do.

Harry walked for a short period further down the stream when he saw the same rabbit, or maybe it was a different one. Quietly, he stepped closer until he was an arm's length away from the rabbit that was eating the short sprouts of grass that randomly grew on the forest floor. With rapid speed he reached out and grabbed the rabbit by the neck, slitting it by its throat. He grimaced, much preferring his usual method of a bow and arrow, but proceeded to skin and clean it.

The next problem was a fire. There was no match or flint in sight and even if he did have them what about the smoke? Surely it would attract others towards him, wouldn't it?

He needed to eat and if another tribute came by him then so be it. He would be prepared and eventually he would cross paths with another tribute. The Gamemakers would make sure of it.

Harry gathered different leaves, sticks, and small branches, forming a pit in the ground. Using a small branch he began to rub it, creating friction even if his hands were starting to bleed from the scrapes. Finally an ember was created and in a matter of minutes he had a small fire with the rabbit cooking over it.

Just as Harry put out the fire and was pulling a piece off the rabbit he heard the cannon go off. A young girl's face appeared in the sky and disappeared a moment later. That left thirteen.

Harry returned to the stream when he first heard a rustle. Immediately he looked up, pulling his knife from the loop on his pants, when he saw the girl from District Eleven.

She didn't look frightened or even starving for food, but they stared at one another, neither moving as if waiting for the other to make a move to kill.

Harry's hand tightened on his knife when he heard the footsteps coming towards them.

"Hurry!" he hissed and he proceeded to start climbing the tree. He watched in amazement as Hermione Granger swiftly and deftly climbed the tree, faster than Harry could imagine going. They hid in the braches of their trees and peered below as the group came into view.

Below, the Careers walked into the clearing, and yes, there was no mistaking that blonde hair. Draco.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and then hardened as he watched below.

"We still haven't found him!" shouted Oliver Wood. "You said we would!"

Wood turned towards Krum and pulled out his knife.

"Shut up!" shouted Krum with a fierce glare to Wood. Harry was surprised that hadn't slit each other's throats yet.

"Vhere vould he go?" Krum asked, directing the question to Draco.

"I already told you," Draco stated in a surly tone. "He would go for the woods first. He's a good hunter so he would be in here."

"Well we've been walking for hours and haven't found a trace of him," snapped the dark haired Career Pansy Parkinson who had the bow and arrows Harry so desperately wanted slung across her muscular frame.

"Do you see me leading the group?" Draco shot back with a quick look to Krum.

Harry was almost positive that everyone back home was watching the scene currently taking place, a sure shot of Harry and Hermione hiding in the trees listening being shown.

A twig hit Harry on the side of his head and he turned towards the source to see Hermione pointing to something to Harry's right. Turning his head he found what she was pointing at and his eyes widened. On the branch right next to the one he was currently crouched on was a nest of quietly sleeping doxies. The dark hair and light skin of the doxies gave them an angelic feature, but Harry knew that they were vicious to the core when bitten and their bites caused hallucinations that could turn deadly without an antidote.

"Why don't we just walk further and when the sun starts getting lower we'll go back to the lake?" suggested the redhead.

Harry knew that it was now or never and that he must release the sleeping doxies. As silently as he could he reached over to the doxie nest and pushed it.

Immediately there was a round of high pitched almost child-like screaming that came from the twisted faeries. They flapped their wings in earnest and began to fly around, seeing the humans below and diving towards them.

At the screaming the tributes below paused before Ginny Weasley cried, "Doxies!" but it was too late. The doxies had dived in and began to bite in earnest.

Harry watched as some of the Careers were bitten by only a few, but managed to clear off, including Draco. It was as he watched that he felt the stings from two different doxies that had decided to stick behind. Frantically he waved his hand around, pounding one doxie against the tree and the other flew off below. He turned his head towards Hermione as the doxie fell to the ground, but he found that the girl had disappeared.

The stinging was beginning to burn, but he turned back to the scene below and watched as Ginny Weasley was pulling on Oliver Wood.

"We have to go!" she screamed, tugging the other boy's arm. "Leave her!"

It was then that Harry saw the sight and his eyes and mouth widened in horror. The doxies had surrounded Pansy Parkinson almost completely, only strands of dark hair and patches of her clothes being visible while they continued to bite her. She was thrashing about, her terrified screams muffled by the doxies. Oliver and Ginny had run off and eventually Pansy had fallen silent.

Harry dared not move and it was some time later that the doxies eventually flew off, leaving behind the battered body of Pansy Parkinson.

As he climbed down from the tree he knew the girl was not dead because the bite did not kill. Pansy's body was red and bleeding and Harry jumped in surprise when her eyes opened wide. She began to scream and jerk her head back and forth, her fingers tangling in her hair while pulling out strands of dark hair. Her wild eyes caught sight of Harry and he knew that he needed to do something quickly because she was crawling towards him, mouth snarling.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the coveted bow and arrows and snatched them, rapidly putting an arrow in place. He aimed it at Pansy and let the arrow fly.

The arrow pierced through her forehead and she immediately fell over onto her side, her crazed appearance still apparent even in the moments after death.

Harry moved towards the fallen girl to retrieve his arrow when a wave of dizziness came over him. He had forgotten that he too had been bitten by the doxies, if only two, but it wouldn't stop the onslaught of hallucinations.

Stumbling, Harry toppled over onto the ground and hit the dirt floor as he saw acromantulas crawling towards him, their endless eyes piercing into his and the clicking of their legs against the ground causing him to groan in agony.

His hands grasped for something, but found nothing and he attempted to inch away, but it was no use. They were coming towards him and yes, they were crawling up his body now.

He didn't care that he was moaning and screaming, that the vicious spiders were going to kill him, and that more than likely anyone could come find and kill him.

His vision went dark and suddenly he saw no more.

* * *

><p>When Harry came to he peered around him in utter confusion. What had happened and why did his body itch and burn?<p>

Groaning, he sat up looked at his hands to see several small red punctures and that's when he remembered the doxies. He had seen acromantulas attack him, but that hadn't been real, had it?

"Here."

Even if he could, Harry wouldn't have had time to reach out for his bow at the startling presence of another. When he saw that it was Hermione he looked at her warily.

The girl was holding out leaves to him that had more ridged edges than leaves he usually saw.

"Chew them in your mouth and then put them over the bites. It'll relieve the itch and pain. I'm taking it you aren't hallucinating anymore?"

Harry shook his head and reluctantly took the leaves from her. Should he trust the girl or was this some ploy to try and kill him? What if the leaves were poisonous?

He decided to take his chances, hoping that if he was poisoned he could at least have time to kill her before he died too. Maybe Snape would send some emergency potion if his thoughts were correct.

When Harry put the mashed leaves on the bites it felt cool to the skin, like aloe, and moments later the pain slowly began to ebb away.

"How did you know?" Harry asked.

"Most of us work in the fields in District Eleven," Hermione explained. She sat down on the ground next to him and crossed her legs, her ponytail hanging over one of her shoulder. "That results in quite a few cuts and many of us don't own wands so we need to find other ways to heal them. We have a number of these trees where we live."

"Thanks," Harry finally said. They sat in silence before Harry reached for his bag and pulled out a piece of the rabbit.

"Take some."

Hermione's eyes widened and she eagerly accepted it.

"Thanks. You can hunt?"

Harry nodded as he picked off a piece for himself.

"Yeah. What have you been eating so far?"

"Berries mostly, although there are a number of plants here that are edible. Not a lot to sustain you though."

"No. Eat up, I can always hunt more. I saw some fowl yesterday too that would be good."

They ate in silence although Harry felt Hermione's curious gaze on him.

"What?" Harry snapped, feeling uncomfortable at her look.

"Why aren't you working with Draco Malfoy?" Hermione finally asked.

'Because he betrayed me and is working with the Careers,' he thought bitterly. 'He lied in the interview and it was just a façade for the Games.'

"We had different plans," he finally said. "And why aren't you working with Blaise?"

"He doesn't speak much and we never even spoke during our time at the Ministry. I think he thought it best to work alone."

Harry nodded and told Hermione about the stream that was nearby to try and change the subject and together they walked to it.

"We could be allies," Harry suggested as they waded in the cool water and cleaned off and drank. 'For now,' he thought. Allies lasted only so long in the Games.

"Alright," she said after a short pause.

They stayed by the stream a majority of the day, eating rabbit and gathering berries that Hermione showed him. He found that she was quite smart and intelligent and extremely knowledgeable about nature.

"You got the highest score during training," she stated as they were searching for leaves that either healed or could be used in some sort of stew.

"Like I said, I'm good with a bow and arrow."

There was no way he would tell anybody what he could do with a wand. That was a secret he would only let out if need be and so far there weren't any wands to be found.

She looked at him somewhat skeptically and Harry stared right back as if to challenge her. She finally looked away by kneeling by a bush with dark red berries.

"I don't think he was lying."

Harry froze at her words. How on earth could she tell that Draco's words and actions were bothering him? He wasn't even sure why the blonde was getting to him. It's not like he loved him anyway.

"How would you know?"

"He's too honest. His face was an open book when he had his interview with Dumbledore."

"Then why would he join the Careers?" Harry spat angrily.

He turned towards Hermione to find her staring at him sadly.

"To protect you."

To protect him? Harry was taken aback by the words. What did she mean by that?

Seeing his confused expression she clarified herself.

"You didn't know it, but there was already talk of you before we even went to the Ministry. Everyone saw your reaping and what happened and initially that was what was discussed. But then when you and Draco came out in the opening ceremonies it's as if everyone knew that you two would be something to be reckoned with. And then your high score. It's like your costumes during the ceremony and interview were symbolic of what you were. You were on fire, like a phoenix."

Hermione pointedly looked at the phoenix pin on his chest. He ran his fingers over the golden phoenix and thought of Teddy and how he was watching Harry right here in the Games.

"Have you seen a phoenix?" Harry asked, wanting to change the topic off of himself. He didn't want to think about her words or what Draco's scheme really was in the Games.

"I've seen them in books," she said. "They symbolize rebirth and are extremely magical through their song and tears. The first time I saw one was here."

"You saw one here, in the Games?" Harry asked in disbelief.

She nodded and sat down on the bank of the stream. "It was beautiful with its scarlet feathers and it was singing. I've never heard anything like it."

"It is."

"You've seen them then?"

"A few times back home. They're pretty rare."

"Did you know that if you can learn their song, their trill, that they can call back?" Hermione told him.

"Really? No, I never knew that."

"Let's give it a try. I doubt one will come though."

Harry watched her sit up straighter and suddenly she began to sing softly. She didn't sing words so much, more like sounds, but the pitch changed to indicate the trill.

"Try it," she encouraged.

Harry was pretty doubtful. He had tried it back home in the woods and only twice did a phoenix ever come.

Taking a deep breath, he let out a timbre note that was neither too high nor too low. When he stopped they waited in silence for several minutes.

"Well, it was worth a -," Harry began, but he stopped when he heard it.

The song sounded distant, as if the phoenix was not nearby, but as it continued to trill it became louder until it was hovering above them, the scarlet phoenix flapping its wings above.

"Oh look!" cried Hermione.

The phoenix swooped down by them, but it didn't pause. A lone scarlet feather fell as it soared back towards the sky and away.

"How lovely!" Hermione said, picking up the soft feather, her fingers caressing it as if it were a baby. "You should keep it in your pack."

"Alright." He stored the feather in his pack and together they walked back towards the trees where the doxies had attacked them earlier.

Pansy's body was gone and there was no trace of doxies.

"The hovercraft came and got her," Hermione explained.

The hovercraft transported the dead bodies out of the arena and was owned by the Ministry.

"I guess the canon went off then?"

She nodded. "You were still out of it when it went off and when the hovercraft came."

"Oh," said Harry. "I guess we'll see pretty soon here how many lived. I can't imagine any of the other Careers were killed by them since she got the worst of it."

"I think they got bitten too, but you're right, not like her," Hermione agreed. "Should we climb up?"

The sun was setting and they knew that soon the night animals would be prowling.

"Have you seen anything?" Harry asked. "I hallucinated about acromantulas."

They perched in the tree, just sitting on the limbs for the moment since it wasn't quite dark yet.

"I think I saw a chimaera, but I'm not positive. I definitely didn't take my chances in finding out."

Harry chuckled, wondering when the Gamemakers would purposely make a tribute run into a foul beast.

"The doxies were enough for me for the moment anyway," Harry said. "Here, you should have my sleeping bag for the night."

"I'll be fine, really."

"No, take it," Harry insisted, handing her the bag. "For your help today."

She smiled gratefully at him and accepted the bag. Harry showed her how he set it up so she wouldn't fall out of the tree.

As they fell silent the cannon went off. The picture of Pansy Parkinson shone in the sky, highlighting that she was the only death of the day.

"Do you reckon tomorrow we should try and go after the Careers?" Hermione asked in the dark night.

"No," Harry said assuredly. "We'll find them soon enough."

"Alright."

He was positive that somehow they would all come together soon. There was no point in rushing into it and risking an early death. No, he would stay put waiting and let the Careers find him first.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

A/N: Please review!

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

* * *

><p>The next morning they were awoken by the sound of two cannons being fired off.<p>

"Did you hear that?" Hermione whispered. The sun was just barely rising and it was still rather dark.

"Yes."

Harry moved out from his sleeping position and peered into the sky. He saw the faces of two more tributes in the sky and then they heard the distinct howl of a werewolf.

Hermione shuddered and Harry sat back against the tree. To die being mauled by a werewolf was indeed a terrible way to go, but it meant two less tributes.

They waited until the sun had risen before climbing down and finishing off what was left of the rabbit and washing in the stream again.

"C'mon, I'll teach you how to hunt."

They spent the morning searching for a small animal and came across some sort of fowl that had bright turquoise plumes.

"I don't think it flies so we should be good," Harry told Hermione as he showed her how to hold the bow and arrow. "Alright, aim a little to the left. Okay, now slowly let go."

He watched as the arrow hit the bird and he turned to Hermione, both of them grinning at each other.

"I did it!" she cried, handing the bow back to him.

"And very well I might add! Now I'll show you how to clean it."

Harry took two steps towards the bird when he noticed that Hermione was not following. He turned and in horror he watched the girl gurgle blood out of her mouth while a long knife pierced through her stomach.

Instantly Harry reached for an arrow and as Hermione toppled over he aimed at the offender. The bow hit the blonde haired girl squarely in the chest and Harry knew that she was dead as she fell to the forest floor.

He rushed over to Hermione to find her already pale and brown eyes not moving. She was gone.

A tear trickled down his cheek and he wiped it away, furious. He knew that something like this would happen eventually, that one or the other would have to be struck down, but he never expected it to happen so soon or by another tribute.

Anger coursed through his veins at the Ministry. How could they let innocent children and young men and women kill each other like this? Did they gain pleasure from seeing Hermione struck down by someone else?

Leaning down, Harry whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry." He realized there was no use since she was dead and even if she had lived there was nothing he could have done to save her with his limited healing knowledge.

The hovercraft would be there soon to collect the bodies and he took the knife out of her body. Then he remembered the phoenix feather. Harry retrieved it from his backpack and he folded Hermione's arms over her abdomen before gently laying the scarlet feather across her heart.

Standing, Harry took his three middle fingers and touched his lips before saluting – the symbol of honor from District Twelve.

He heard the two cannons and saw the pictures before a dark shadow passed overhead. Harry quickly retreated towards the trees, watching as a long metal contraption snaked out and took the two bodies and then he watched it leave. There were now nine left.

* * *

><p>Harry knew that now was the time to start taking action and finishing these Games. The sooner the better.<p>

Before leaving his spot in the woods he made sure to have his fill of water, not wanting to somehow get lost and become dehydrated once more. Just as he was about to leave the stream there was a popping sound and he found a small basket of bread. The bread was unlike that of District Twelve and so it couldn't be from Snape. The only other logical conclusion was that it was a gift from District Eleven for what he had done for Hermione.

"Thank you District Eleven," Harry said out loud, knowing that the country would be watching him right now.

He gratefully tore off a piece and shoved it in his mouth before putting the rest in his backpack.

As Harry walked towards the lake he knew that there were five Careers left, plus Draco. He wouldn't let himself consider Draco a Career because what if Hermione had been right, that the blonde only allied himself with them to protect Harry? Would he ever find out? He hoped so. There was himself, Blaise, and one other tribute Harry thought was from District Five. Was it Colin something? Perhaps.

As Harry approached the lake he thought that it was eerily quiet. Where were the others at?

Through the trees he could see the lake and the camp that the Careers had set up around it. Oliver Wood was standing guard at the moment which surprised Harry a little. He thought that anyone but Krum or Wood would do that tedious job, but it meant that the others were away.

He had the perfect position between the trees to aim at Wood who would never have an idea that he was there. There was no reason for Wood to be looking towards the woods for anyone coming and he kept glancing towards the right where it seemed the arena just dropped off into nothingness. Apparently he was worried about Blaise coming to attack.

The arrow hit Wood in the shoulder, causing the auburn haired young man to stumble back. It wasn't a perfect shot and it certainly wouldn't kill the tribute.

Harry paused, unsure of whether he should risk a chance to go in closer and make sure Wood died or take another shot at him and let the Gamemakers and sponsors decide whether he lived or not.

No, he couldn't take any more chances, but one more arrow wouldn't hurt.

Harry aimed again, this time for the stomach. To hit the vital organs would prolong death, but it was sure to come. This time the arrow hit its target.

Wood doubled over and Harry darted out of the woods and into the open. He stopped in front of the Career and noticed that he was already pale.

"Where are they?" Harry demanded. "Where is Draco?"

Wood appeared confused or at the very least not conscious of what Harry was asking. Maybe he had been wrong and death would come quicker for Wood than he thought.

The expression on Wood's face changed to fear.

"What?" Harry asked.

"F-fire," he whispered.

Harry whipped his head and saw that from over the unknown edge a great and sprawling fire was spreading. But it wasn't just any fire, no, Harry knew that. It was fiendfyre.

The red flames were coming at them fast and the serpents, chimaera, and dragon demons coming out of it were taking charge.

Abandoning Wood, Harry ran back towards the trees, not sure if that was the smartest decision since woods burned and the lake had been right there, but there was no guaranteeing that even the lake would be safe in these twisted games.

He took a chance and glanced behind him to see a basilisk demon right on his trail. How had it moved so fast?

Jumping over fallen limbs and weaving in and out of the trees, Harry ran faster than he ever had before, but he still felt the first licks of the flames. It was hotter than burning coal and Harry was positive that it had singed his pants, but it only made him try to escape faster. The basilisk demon was even faster and its long tongue wrapped around Harry's leg and caused him to fall to the ground.

He cried out in pain, the burn worse than anything he had ever felt in his life. He realized that he was going to die here being consumed by the fiendfyre and that this was it, it was the end of the Games for him.

But as soon as the fire had come it had gone. One instant Harry was looking at the basilisk demon and the next it and the rest of the fire and other demons were gone.

Lying on his back he panted and winced at the pain shooting up and down in his leg. He was afraid to look at the burn because he knew it was something that he couldn't heal on his own. If the Games lasted much longer it risked becoming infected.

Refusing to look at his leg, he pushed himself up off the ground and found a long stick to lean against. He had to get back to the stream where he could at least clean it off and inspect it properly.

Harry hobbled the remaining distance to the stream which seemed further away than ever due to his aching leg when in reality he was closer to it than expected. He collapsed by the stream, exhausted, and wondered if any other tributes were caught by the fiendfyre. Surely Blaise was since the fire came from where he was supposedly camped at, but there was no telling.

While tearing the charred pieces off of his leg he heard the cannon go off only once. Oliver Wood's picture floated in the air. Harry knew the Career was going to die and he wondered whether it was from the wounds Harry inflicted on him or if the fire had gotten to him first in the end.

When Harry looked down at his burn his stomach churned at the sight of red and pink flesh hanging off of his leg. He promptly turned over and vomited, all the food he had consumed within the last twenty-four hours leaving his body. How was he going to treat this with no wand or potions? Even if he did have a sponsor, which didn't seem likely at this point since he hadn't received any gifts from Snape, how could anyone afford such expensive potions to heal this? There was no use worrying or getting angry over it though. He would have to fix it with what he had.

Harry ripped off the bottom part of his non-burnt leg's pants and dipped it in the cool water. As he placed it against the burn he hissed, tears springing to his eyes, and he gritted his teeth in agony. He lightly tied the cool piece of cloth around the burn, realizing that he would somehow need to try and find plants that could at least help alleviate the pain, but he was too hungry to start searching now. He took some of the berries and leaves that he and Hermione had collected and ate them, occasionally cupping his hands in the water for a drink. By the time he was finished he was so tired he thought it was impossible to start searching for the plants he needed, but there was no way he could sleep there out in the open. There were more than likely other tributes who were not wounded and they could easily find him.

Using his stick, Harry moved at a slow place trying to find the plants. When he finally spotted the same leaves Hermione had given to him for the doxy bites he bent forward to retrieve them, but he stumbled and collapsed onto the ground.

It was as if all the energy he had saved up was exhausted and even if Viktor Krum came bounding at him with a spear at that very moment he couldn't have moved. Instead, he let his eyes fall closed.

* * *

><p>The first thing Harry noticed when he woke was that it was dark. Fear ran through him like a shot of adrenaline at the fact that he was lying out in the open. Thankfully in the time that he had passed out to when he awoke nothing or nobody had found him. It would have been just his luck to have gotten killed in the Games by a hippogriff or some other creature.<p>

The second thing Harry noticed was that his leg was swollen and pus was coming out from under the now dry cloth he had tied loosely around his burn earlier. He closed his eyes shut as he pulled the cloth away, aware that some parts of it were sticking due to the pus and pieces of skin. The pus needed to come out, but he wasn't sure if he could stomach that at the moment.

The third thing he noticed was that there was a small silver parachute bag. Harry's eyes widened, hopeful at the sight, and he opened it. Inside was a small vial of a dark blue potion. Uncorking it, Harry downed the contents and frowned in disgust at the taste. It was definitely a healing potion. Snape had come through for him after all so maybe he didn't want Harry dead in the end. The potion surely cost a fortune, but he was grateful to those who had sponsored it for him.

Minutes later he could feel the swelling in his leg going down, but he figured it would take more than a matter of minutes for his leg to heal properly, or as properly as it could with the aid of one potion. When he could stand on his own he walked as quietly and quickly as possible towards his nighttime perch and began to climb. His leg still ached as he climbed up, but hopefully it would be able to heal even more during the night.

The next morning Harry awoke to a slight irritation in his leg, but it looked much better than before. The skin was a shiny pink and he was sure it would scar, but he could move and run now. He had caught another bird with the turquoise feathers and had plucked and roasted it, eating a fair portion of it before he began to meander through the woods.

Harry had been walking slowly in the afternoon sun, trying to find any trace of another tribute being near the area he had considered his when he saw the beast. It was a rounded creature covered in reddish brown hair and had five legs, it's feet club shaped. Harry recalled hearing about quintapeds before, but he had never come across one. They were carnivorous beasts whose main appetite was that of the human flesh. Naturally the only thing he thought of was to run.

As he ran he heard the beast clattering noisily after him and he wondered why he had not thought to use his bow and arrow. It was pointless to stop now and try to kill it so he did the next logical thing and climbed a tree.

He was breathing heavily and sweat dripped down his forehead, but he heard the gnarled sounds coming from the quitaped quiet and when he peered out of the tree he found it nowhere in sight.

Thinking that the coast was clear, he was getting ready to climb down when the voice of Minister Riddle boomed throughout the arena.

"Good evening tributes. The Gamemakers and I have decided to change the rules of the game for this year's Hunger Games."

What? Was Harry somehow still hallucinating from the doxy bites? Was it even possible for the rules to be changed in the middle of the Games? Of course it was – it was the Hunger Games and the Gamemakers did as they pleased.

"From this point on if the two tributes from the same District are left alive by the end of the Games they both win. May the odds be ever in your favor."

Harry's first reaction was confusion and after the words sunk in he realized that he needed to find Draco. They could both win and live at the same time if they worked together.

He was eager to start his search for Draco despite the setting sun, but before he had a chance to climb down he heard the approaching footsteps and voices. He quickly retreated within the branches of the tree.

"He must ve around here," stated Krum.

Harry looked down on the group and counted four – Krum, Chang, and the Weasley siblings. Where was Draco? Harry knew he wasn't dead because a canon hadn't gone off with his picture hovering in the sky.

"We've been searching all day," complained Ginny Weasley, her shoulders hunched forward and a pout on her lips.

"Shut up," growled Viktor.

Ron Weasley stepped towards the bulkier Career, his hand on the hilt of his knife. "Don't tell her to shut up or I'll send a knife through your throat!"

Krum didn't look the least bit interested in what Ron had to say and he glanced around the area.

"He can't ave gotten far. He vas injured after all."

Injured? Who was injured? Surely they couldn't mean Draco.

"We could split up," said Cho.

"No," barked Krum. "Forget him. He vill die anyway with zat cut I gave him."

They chuckled darkly and Harry felt himself leaning closer, wondering why the tributes wouldn't separate at this point now that they could win with their fellow district tribute.

"Then let's go after the other one. He'll be looking for him anyway. I say we keep going because I'm sure Malfoy didn't head back towards the lake," said Ron.

"The sun is going to set soon though," Cho pointed out as she looked towards the sky.

Harry looked up also to find that indeed the sun was setting. Had the day really gone by that fast?

"Vill come back here tomorrow zen, neizer can be far. Back to the lake now."

The sound of the cannon stopped everyone in place and for a brief moment Harry held his breath, hoping that Draco's face was not the one to appear in the sky. Thankfully it wasn't. It was that of Colin Creevy.

"That's one more gone," Cho stated indifferently.

"Good," Ginny said haughtily and with that they turned and left towards the lake.

So Draco was injured and from the sounds of it it sounded severe. He needed to find Draco first thing tomorrow so that they could formulate some sort of plan to take down the remaining Careers and Blaise, but for now he would have to wait.

Sleep did not come easy for him that night so when the sun began to rise he hurriedly put his things away and began his search for Draco, but where to start looking? He could be anywhere since the Careers had made camp near the lake and Harry didn't know where he was injured at. If he got hurt by the lake then he couldn't have gotten far, but if they had already been out and about when Krum attacked then he could be anywhere.

Where to start? Harry roasted a rabbit over the small fire he created that morning as he thought about where to begin his search for Draco. The Careers had trekked all over the area between the lake and Harry's stakeout so it wasn't reasonable to look for the blonde there unless he had an extraordinary hiding place that they hadn't come across, but even if, the likelihood was slim.

That left the surrounding area and beyond. Harry himself had not ventured too far past his favored tree due to the proximity to water, but if Draco had gotten past this point then why hadn't Harry seen him? Did he actually take the chance to move in the night?

He quickly ate and put his things away before beginning his search. As he walked he was more aware of his surroundings than ever. Every movement or creak of a branch he heard he would stop and see if he saw a shock of platinum hair, but there was no such luck.

The sun was high in the sky when he stopped and took a break. The Careers surely had to have been by Harry's hiding spot by now, but he hadn't seen or heard anything that resembled humans since he saw them yesterday evening. If he was going to find Draco he needed to do so swiftly. Draco was injured and who knew if he had access to food or water? From what Harry could gather Draco had been injured for well over a day and if the wound was too bad then there was the risk of infection.

Maybe it was stupid, but Harry would take his chances with Krum, Chang, and the Weasley siblings if they came running.

"Draco!" Harry shouted.

He began to pick up his pace and continued to call out for the blonde. He had moved several meters when he heard it.

"Draco?"

"'Arry."

The voice was raspy as if it hadn't been used in days and Harry scrambled forward.

"Where are you Draco?"

Harry knelt on the forest floor, aware that the voice was coming from there.

"Here."

A pale hand moved out from under brush, branches, and an array of strategically placed leaves. If Harry had walked any further he would have tripped over the blonde.

He quickly began to move the things aside and finally he saw the extremely pale and dirt streaked face.

"Draco," Harry whispered, his hands fearfully touching Draco's cheeks as if he would break.

The blonde smiled miserably. "You found me."

"Shh, don't talk."

Harry looked closer at the blonde and he couldn't help the gasp that escaped him when he saw Draco's injury. A long deep gash was sliced through the blonde's right leg. It was swelling and Harry knew just from the sight of it that it was infected.

"It's bad," Draco stated, not questioning.

A lump formed in Harry's throat and he could not answer. Instead he said, "We have to move. The Careers are looking for us."

When Harry picked Draco up he found him light – lighter than he should have been. They were nearly the same height, although Harry was a bit more muscular. Draco needed food and water, but most importantly he needed medicine. The first question was where to hide.

"There's a cave," Draco said, his voice a bit unsteady and Harry knew why. The blonde was feverish and his body radiated heat. Yes, they definitely needed medicine. "I found it before Krum hurt me when I was patrolling alone."

Draco directed Harry towards the cave and Harry was pleasantly surprised. It was in the side of a stone ridge and moss from it hung over the entrance, shielding it from an unsuspecting human's eye.

He gently set Draco down and took out his sleeping bag and took off his hunter's jacket, wrapping it around the blonde.

"I'm going to go find water," Harry informed him, but Draco's grey eyes were already closing.

While Harry walked back to the stream he mentally asked for Snape to send some sort of medicine now that the rules of the Games had changed. He wouldn't just let Draco die now would he?

As much as Harry wanted to believe that Snape would do such a thing he knew in his heart that it wasn't true. District Twelve hadn't had a winner since Snape's own Games and Harry was almost positive that this was the furthest any tribute from 12 had gotten in the Games since then. There was no way Snape would give up on them now.

Harry wasn't very adept at crafting skills, but he knew that now was the time that he would have to try to put what knowledge of what he had to use. Using twigs and leaves, he transformed them into a large bowl so that he could fill it and carry it back to Draco. Several trips might be called for back to the stream before night fell, but Harry would do it to try and make Draco's health better. Along the way back he collected a few more berries and various plants. When he made it back to the cave he saw that Draco was still sleeping soundly. Harry took a chance to take a good look at the blonde.

He was a lot thinner than before the Games and appeared gaunt. It was due to the cut, infection, and the fact that he hadn't been able to access any sort of food or water in well over a day. His pallor was a sickly grey-white and Harry could see the bright blue veins sticking out on his skin. When Harry finally came to the gash Krum had given him he winced and closed his eyes, trying to control his feelings. The sight made him nauseous as the dried blood looked black, but now pus was leaking out of it. He needed to clean it and perhaps try and find something, anything, to stitch it up. What he really needed was a wand or even better a potion, but did the sponsors have enough for Draco after the potion that Harry was sent? He felt guilty, but knew that it was unreasonable. If his burn hadn't had been healed then there was no way he would have found Draco in the first place and they both would have died.

Harry took a large leaf and soaked it in the water before using the soft underside to wipe away the grime from the wound. More pus poured forth and Harry had to breathe deeply through his nose to try and keep his cool. This had to be done and he was the only one there to do it.

When he had finished cleaning the cut the pus finally began to stop seeping from it and Harry mashed the leaves Hermione had shown him in his mouth. He did this several different times until he had a liberal amount and he spread it over the wound. Afterwards he tied together leaves and other brush from the trees and wrapped it around the gash. It would have to do for now.

Even though he had done nothing too physical he felt exhausted mentally and emotionally. Why had he been so intent on finding Draco? He knew it wasn't just because of the new rules. When he heard Krum say that Draco was injured he remembered the feeling of terror that pulsed through him. And when he found the blonde he had never been so relieved before. Harry knew in his heart that this change wasn't just about winning, it was more than that. He actually wanted Draco to live and the things he was feeling were those of tenderness and hope. Hope that they could actually survive if Draco's wound got better and that maybe they could do it together.

Green eyes drooped close and before he knew it Harry was asleep.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming! I'm thinking about writing a sequel to this (sort of like the second book for those who have reading Catching Fire) so send your thoughts about it to me.

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

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><p>Harry awoke to feel someone moving next to him and suddenly yesterday's events came rushing back to him, although from the looks of it outside it was in the middle of the night.<p>

"Draco?"

"Mmm?"

He sat up and saw unfocused grey eyes staring back at him.

"You need to drink something," Harry said. He helped Draco sit up and lean against him while using the bowl to help give the blonde water.

"Are you hungry?"

"Mmm," was the only reply.

Mashing up the berries, Harry scooped them on his fingers and fed them to Draco, the blonde's warm tongue caressing his fingers. Harry didn't want to think about the feelings that the sensation caused him so he ignored it for the time being.

More water was given to Draco before he lay back down. In a matter of minutes he was back to sleep and so was Harry.

When he woke the second time Harry saw that Draco was still asleep. He appeared more ill than before. Undressing the wound, the dark haired teen grimaced. It wasn't better than before and was more swollen, pus leaking out at some point during the night.

"Please," Harry whispered. "We need a potion or a wand. Something."

He closed his eyes tightly to hold the tears at bay. Why wasn't anything being sent? It had been two days at least since Harry's own injury. Surely money had been gathered by then to purchase medicine for Draco.

As if his wishes were answered the Ministry anthem began to play. Draco merely stirred.

"Good morning tributes. Something that you all value and desire will be at the cornucopia in exactly one hour. May the odds be ever in your favor."

Wands. Harry immediately knew what the desirous and valued object that everyone wanted was. It was far enough into the Games for the wands to come in to play and Harry knew that he had to get one of them.

He hoped that Draco would be alright and just in case he set the water and what food Harry had directly next to his head. It was unlikely that Draco would wake and even if he did it was even more unlikely that he could feed himself, but Harry had to leave. He needed a wand.

Draco's chest was rising and falling evenly and an unknown urge caused Harry to brush back the sweaty strands that stuck to his forehead. Leaning down, he placed a kiss on the clammy forehead.

"I'll be back, I promise."

With one last glance at Draco, Harry left the cave with his bow and arrow in hand. He quickly darted through the forest, not quite sure how much time had passed since he left. It definitely didn't take an hour to get to the lake, but where exactly would the remaining tributes be positioned?

As Harry neared the lake he picked a tall tree and began to climb, hoping that he could get a view from above of the surrounding area and maybe even see where another tribute was hiding out. He maneuvered among the branches until he was near the very top. Looking out above everything his vision was slightly skewed due to some trees still being in the way, but there they were, the three coveted wands. They were set before the cornucopia, but he couldn't see anyone else which meant that they too were hiding.

Harry climbed down and inched closer towards the lake, but he was still unseen due to the obstruction of the trees. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement, a long wisp of red hair, and instantly he grabbed an arrow and positioned the bow. The Weasley girl was crouched and in a position to run. Most of her body was hidden by a tree except for an extended leg and her head.

The only thing that passed through Harry's mind as he released the arrow was that he had to get to a wand in order to save Draco and saving Draco meant other people had to die.

The arrow hit her squarely in the side of the head and she instantly toppled over, her body only resounding a soft 'thud'.

To his surprise he did not see the girl's brother rush out from his own hiding spot or any other tribute come to her aid which meant that they had split up in the rush for the wands.

The cannon sounded and all was eerily silent for a moment. There was no wind, no rustle of branches from a human or animal, nor any other sound to be heard until Ginny Weasley's picture appeared in the sky. Nearly as soon as the picture appeared there was a howl of instant grief, surely to come from her brother, but there was no time to think for a bell went off signaling that the hour was up and whatever charm had been protecting the wands was now up.

Without looking for any other tributes, Harry dashed towards the cornucopia. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a large dark figure going just as fast. Blaise. The muscular tribute grabbed a wand and paid no mind to Harry before dashing back towards his hidden spot.

The wand was now within hand's grasp and just as he reached out for it something hit him in the back. It was not that of a weapon, but rather another person. Turning around he saw Ron Weasley with a red and wet face, his expression that of inhuman rage.

Harry fell to his knees and saw the redhead step forward towards the remaining wands, but before he could take another step Harry grabbed both of his calves and pulled. Weasley toppled over and from there it was a fight of strength. The brief thought of where Krum and Chang were passed through his mind. Was this some ploy between them for the redhead to distract Harry while the other two snatched the wands? But no, that wasn't plausible. That would mean the two tributes from one district could easily take out Weasley and it wasn't exactly planned for the younger Weasley sibling to die.

A punch was thrown at Harry's face and he felt his eye shudder shut. He kicked at Ron's stomach causing the other boy to fall back. Knowing that this was his chance Harry turned and grabbed a wand. When he swiveled towards Ron Weasley the other tribute was still enraged, but at the sight of a wand pointed at him he fell pale and stilled instantly.

"Stupefy!" he shouted.

The redhead slumped forward and fell to the ground. Before Weasley even hit the ground Harry had started to run towards the woods. As he did so he saw Cho Chang dart out from the woods further down.

"Stupefy!" he shouted towards her, but she dodged it.

Refusing to waste anymore time Harry continued to run into he was well into the woods. When he was far enough in he paused to catch his breath.

He did it. He had gotten a wand. Shaking his head he smiled and a sob of relief escaped him before he collected himself. There wasn't enough time to ponder his luck because he had to get back to Draco.

Harry ran the rest of the way back to the cave, knowing that Draco was in bad shape when he left. Fear and worry fled through him as he entered and thoughts of Draco dead entered his mind.

He knelt beside the blonde and saw that he was breathing unevenly and hadn't appeared to have woken up. A short glance at his wound told Harry that it was extremely infected by the pus and was turning black around the edge of it.

But what spell was he to use? He knew of some healing charms that were slightly more helpful than those they learned in school, but would it be enough to save Draco?

As if Snape had read his mind a silver parachute appeared and floated towards Harry. He grabbed it and saw a small piece of rolled parchment attached to it.

Unfurling it, Harry read the words. It was some sort of spell, but he knew what its purpose was. Harry aimed his wand at Draco and concentrated on the words before reciting it.

For several moments nothing happened until he took a closer look at the deep gash in Draco's leg. The black and pus was ebbing away and as even more time passed the wound started to close. He realized it would be a long process, but already Draco's fever was dropping and hopefully he would wake up soon so Harry could get some food and water into him.

Almost a half an hour later Draco awoke, confused grey eyes opening while he tried to understand where he was.

"Draco? It's Harry."

Harry leaned over the blonde and brushed back his fringe while smiling.

"Harry? Where are we?"

At this his smile faltered, but he forced it once more. "We're in a cave. In the Games."

Recognition appeared on Draco's face and he nodded.

"Yes, that's right. Can I have some water please?"

Harry grabbed the water and helped Draco sit up some before giving him the water.

"Thanks," Draco sighed as he lay back down. "What's happened?"

Harry explained, telling him that he had somehow gotten hurt by Krum and had hidden by camouflaging himself. Harry had overheard Krum and the other Careers talking and he knew that Draco was injured severely. He also explained the new rule and how he left to go get the wand.

"Snape sent the spell?"

"Yes. I guess that's why they didn't give me any medicine beforehand. They wanted to see if I got a wand first."

Draco nodded. "That makes sense. How is it looking?"

"A lot better. If it was much longer I'm not sure if you would have survived, it was pretty infected."

Draco only nodded again before asking if there was any food. He ate slowly and only a little since it had been days since he had eaten much of anything.

"Thanks," Draco repeated when he was lying down again.

"For what?"

A penetrating stare was shot Harry's way, but he refused to look away. Harry had only seen Draco's expression as serious as it was in that moment when they were up on the tower the night before the Games started which seemed like a lifetime ago rather than days.

"For saving me. You could have left me even if we can work together now. You knew I was badly hurt."

Harry shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"I couldn't let you die."

Nothing more was said and Harry decided to lie next to Draco. He was exhausted from the day's events and as his eyes closed shut he felt a hand slip into his.

* * *

><p>When Harry awoke the next morning Draco was still asleep. The blonde's head was turned towards his and he felt short puffs of air hit his cheek. He continued to lay there and thought about his feelings for Draco. What exactly were they? He no longer felt contempt towards the blonde as he did after the interview ceremony and towards the beginning of the Games. Hearing the Careers talk about Draco and what Hermione told him made him think differently and yes, he felt something towards him now. But love him? Harry knew the love of Teddy and Sirius, even Remus, but he wasn't sure what love towards someone who wasn't family was. He was positive that he did not love Draco and wasn't sure if he could love the blonde. Why risk these feelings when they both might not even survive? For now he would allow himself to feel affectionate towards his fellow tribute and he would no longer hold the grudge in his heart about the fact that Draco pronounced his love for Harry just for the sake of the Games.<p>

He finally sat up and began to collect his things to hunt since they were running low on food. Shortly before he left he remembered the wand and secured it with him. When he returned Draco was awake and surprisingly slowly walking around.

"Hey," Harry said, dropping his bag at the entrance. "Should you be walking?"

Draco continued to take a few tentative steps, using the cave walls for support, before looking up at Harry and smiling.

"It looks just like a normal cut now, see? And I figure we'll have to leave this cave eventually. The Gamemakers will make sure of it and I'll need to at least walk for that."

He had a point. Yesterday's festivities over the wands and the death of Ginny Weasley had surely appeased some of the Ministry's appetites and created excitement, but that would last for only so long.

"Let me take a look at it," Harry stated and he bent down to look at the healing wound. The cut was still a couple centimeters wide, but the flesh around it was pink and healing. By tomorrow it should be fully healed.

"You look better," said Harry after he finished examining the former gash.

Draco smiled. "I feel better. I actually have an appetite so that's something."

"Well you're in luck then. I caught a rabbit, or something like a rabbit." He pulled out the longer floppy-eared brother of the rabbit.

The blonde watched as Harry prepared the rabbit, himself not having any experience hunting or the likes.

"How much longer do you think the Games will last?" Draco asked as they picked off meat and slowly began to eat.

"Not much longer. There's only six of us left."

"Six? That means more of the Careers have died," stated Draco in surprise.

Harry nodded, not looking up to meet Draco's eyes. "I killed Wood a couple days ago before I got hurt."

"You were hurt?" Draco stared at him sharply and Harry shrugged.

"I'll get to it. Anyway he was staking out the Career camp at the lake by himself and I knew it was my chance. Pansy died -,"

"When the doxies got her," the blonde interrupted. "Yes, I remember that. It was before I left the Careers."

This time Harry was the one to shoot a pointed look at Draco. "And you need to tell me about that."

"I will."

"Yesterday the Gamemakers left a message that something we all desired and needed would be at the cornucopia," Harry explained, picking at his food more than eating it. "I needed a wand to heal you so I left. I knew that Krum, Chang, and the two Weasleys were left along with Blaise."

"Blaise?" Draco appeared confused as if he wasn't quite sure who he was talking about. "Oh," he said as realization dawned. "The huge black boy that lives on the other side. Krum's wanted to go after him for a while now."

"Yes, he's still here. Anyway, I was near the lake in the forest when I saw Ginny Weasley trying to hide behind a tree. I had to kill her."

They fell into silence, neither saying anything for a moment until Draco spoke.

"You had to do it. She would have tried to kill us at some point."

"I know, but I shouldn't have to kill other people. None of us should. We're all still so young and no matter how old you are murdering another person shouldn't be right."

Harry didn't realize that Draco had moved until he felt the blonde's presence next to him. He glanced at Draco thankful that he now had someone to rely on in the Games besides himself.

"You're right, but what can we do about it? The Ministry has control and even if we do survive the Games will continue. More innocent people will die because of the Ministry and the Hunger Games. The only thing we can do is to prove our fate in here."

The words reminded Harry of those that Draco had said on the tower, that he wanted to show the Ministry that they didn't own him. Harry sighed. How could they ever do that? Even in the Games the Gamemakers had ultimate control over their circumstances.

His head ached and he refused to think about it any longer so instead he suggested they take a walk to the stream to get Draco out and walking while also getting access to the water. Draco agreed and on the walk they only had to stop twice to let the blonde rest.

"This feels nice," stated Draco. He had his shirt off and was cleaning himself, relishing the feel of the cool water on his body.

Harry tried not to stare, but it was hard. Draco was still extremely thin due to his sickness and the Games, but Harry could see where muscles had been. It was obvious that even before they entered the arena that he had been toned. Harry flushed, from either anger at himself for the way he felt or due to embarrassment he wasn't quite sure. Turning away, he refused to look at Draco for the rest of the time they were at the stream.

When they walked back they didn't have to stop at all and they both agreed that Draco was improving greatly, mostly thanks to the spell. They picked some berries and leaves along the way, Harry explaining what the uses of the different plants were.

"You know quite a bit about being out here," Draco observed. "How did you learn?"

Harry mentally debated on whether to tell Draco. There was no way he could tell him everything that he learned, especially about hunting since the Ministry was watching them, but he could explain a little.

"My dad, godfather, and their friend learned about it from their dads and then passed it on to me. Food and the sorts aren't easy to come by back home so we had to find ways to make ends meet."

Draco stared at him for a moment as if he knew Harry wasn't telling the whole truth, but he nodded.

"Shall we go back then?" he asked.

When they got back to the cave they sorted through the assortment of plants and berries, Draco occasionally asking questions and Harry answering.

"So how did you get hurt?" the blonde finally asked.

"Like I said I went towards the lake and I hit Wood with an arrow. I was there right next to him and then he said something that at first I could barely understand. His eyes were wide and frightened, an expression I never would have thought to see on a Career. I turned and I saw the fiendfyre coming towards us and swallowing everything in sight."

Harry sat down on the cave floor and Draco joined him.

"I tried to run as fast as I could, but it was coming too fast and it burned part of my leg."

He showed Draco where the burn had been and Draco inspected the area.

"It looks just fine, like there was never a burn in the first place."

Draco frowned when he looked up as he tried to figure how that was possible.

"The fiendfyre should have injured you badly. How are you okay?"

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and averted his eyes from Draco, perhaps feeling slightly guilty that the first gift sent to them was to Harry.

"Snape sent me a potion."

"Ahh, I see." There was a pause until Draco shot him a smile. "A good thing then, right, or we would both be dead by now."

A sense of relief fell over Harry and he smiled back.

"That's true. Now that we've both been injured let's hope there won't be anymore."

They were silent until Harry felt it was his turn to ask the question that had bothered him ever since he realized Draco had aligned himself with the Careers.

"How did you get to be with the Careers?"

At first Harry wondered if the blonde had even heard him since he showed no sign of recognition, but how could one not in the silent cave, but then Draco spoke quietly.

"It was obvious that you and I weren't going to be allies together after everything." It was apparent to what Draco was referring to – his declaration of love and Harry's suspicion of his motives afterwards. "I needed a way to survive as far as I could. I saw you head for the cornucopia even though Snape told you not to." Draco shot him a wry grin and Harry returned it. Being spiteful towards their mentor in any way made him smile just a little bit. "I went into the forest at first, watching as the Careers slaughtered a good number of other tributes. Eventually after the others scattered and the dead bodies were taken by the hovercraft I moved closer towards the camp, but was still hidden. I heard them talking."

At this Draco paused and his eyes remained trained on the ground. Harry had an unsettling feeling about what Draco was going to say.

"They were saying that you were their number one target because of your score during training and what their mentors had told them. Maybe it was stupid of me to say what I did during the interviews because it's put us in even more danger."

It was the first time either of them had acknowledged what Draco had said during the interview and Harry was surprised at how guilty Draco was feeling about it.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Draco turned his head towards Harry and shook it. "For putting you on the spot and making you uncomfortable. I know Snape said to charm everyone and get them to notice us and I wanted to do that. I meant what I said, I still do, but I know it wasn't right. I should have told you in private or kept it to myself because it put targets on our back."

Harry was unsure of what to say at first and how to address Draco's declaration of love, but he soon found words and cleared his throat.

"I'll admit you caught me off guard. I think you caught everyone off guard." He smiled, trying to show Draco that he wasn't going to throttle him about his previous actions. The blonde sent a weak smile back. "I was angry at first because I thought you were doing it just for the Games and the attention, like you said. Even when we got here to the arena I was still doubtful of you and then when I heard you were with the Careers I felt betrayed. If you had truly felt that way for me then why would you become allies with them? It still doesn't make sense to me."

"Like I said I overheard them talking and that you were the number one target. I had to protect you." Draco blushed furiously and refused to look at him. Harry felt his own face heat up at the proclamation. "So I offered them information. I – I lied to them and told them I knew your strategy for the Games."

What? Did he really just hear that? Harry sat back a little, stunned by the fact that Draco had basically offered him up to the Careers. He shook his head as he thought. But no, the blonde just stated he lied because how could he have known what Harry's strategy was? He didn't have one and even if he did who would have given it to Draco? Snape? Very unlikely since he was trying to protect Harry also.

"I'm sorry. I just thought that if I led them astray then it would give you more of a chance to survive. I knew eventually they would figure it out and they did, well Krum did."

Harry nodded, the anger that had flared within him abating. "Is that how you got your injury?"

"Yes. Occasionally the Careers would split up. As you saw someone usually kept watch over the camp and we would go off in groups, never with their fellow tribute because that could create a cause to try and take out another Career. Krum and I had gone off to search for you later in the day while the rest stayed behind at the camp. I knew Krum had been suspicious of me from day one, but everyone else had agreed to keep me around and I think it was the only time he was overruled.

"Anyway, we decided to go looking and once we got well into the forest Krum turned and just stared at me. He said he knew I was lying, that I didn't know your strategy or even where you were at. Of course I objected, but he took out his spear and all I had was my knife so I ran."

Draco paused and pulled anxiously at the ends of his shirt sleeves while Harry remained quiet.

"It felt like it was a game of cat and mouse. I hid behind a tree and Krum passed me by so I jumped out and attacked. I hit him upside the head with the end of my knife and he started to fall, but grabbed me with him. After that it was a struggle, but Krum is a lot bigger than me. Not quite as big as Blaise, but it's not like I've had the training he has."

Harry wasn't sure what made him do it, but he reached out and grabbed Draco's hand. The other boy turned and just gazed at him before continuing on with his story.

"He grabbed my knife since his spear was too far away and got my leg. When he pulled away he grinned at me and I knew that he would kill me right then and there so I kicked him in the face with my good leg. I think I knocked him out since he didn't come after me when I ran away. Eventually the pain in my leg was too much and I collapsed. I didn't move from that point on and that's where you found me."

In response Harry squeezed Draco's hands, not quite sure what to say, but he knew that momentarily he would have to put his mixed emotions into words.

"Like I said, I'm sorry that we're in this mess. It's my fault and -," the blonde began.

"Draco," Harry interrupted, his voice not quite commanding, but stern enough that Draco quieted. "It isn't your fault. It's the Ministry's, don't you see? Neither of us would have been in this position if it wasn't for them and the destruction of 13. It led us here and hundreds of others due to the Hunger Games. We're not to blame, not ever."

Grey eyes looked at him warily, but Draco nodded in acquiescence. "You're right. I just don't want you to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Draco."

"Then how do you feel?" he countered softly.

Harry froze, not sure what to say. He could easily brush the subject off, but it would offend and more than likely hurt Draco which was something he didn't want to do. It was eerie how his feelings had changed in a matter of days; how when they stepped into the arena Harry was solely looking out for himself, but now he had to protect himself and Draco. The Games had certainly changed him for better and for worse.

"I would be lying if I didn't say I had some feelings for you. I don't know what to make of them, but maybe, if we both live, we can see where it goes."

They looked at one another, their hands still clasped together, and Draco nodded and smiled. "Something to make us fight even more for now, right?"

Harry nodded, still unsure. What if his feelings were only because of the Games? Stupid Games. Harry was sure the Ministry and everyone watching was loving this development, especially Snape who had wanted Harry to go along with it from the very beginning. Did Snape think that Harry was only pretending to have feelings for Draco for show?

His head ached with the multitude of questions and thoughts so he stood up and got food ready for the both of them.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

A/N: There will be one more chapter and more than likely a sequel afterward. Please review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

* * *

><p>The next day they awoke to a chill in the air and the sound of steady rain outside.<p>

"That's a change," Draco commented groggily from where he was laying on the ground.

"Use my jacket," Harry told him when they had both gotten up. The blonde thanked him and wrapped himself in the jacket while Harry set his makeshift bowl outside to gather rain.

"I wonder how long it's been raining for and why the sudden change," said Draco as they ate berries.

"I don't know, but things have been pretty slow around here since the wands came into place. And speaking of." He reached for the wand and cast a warming charm around them.

"That's much better. So you think the Gamemakers have a plan then?"

"Don't they always?"

The rain was only a premonition of the things to come. With so few tributes left Harry had a feeling that the Games would be ending soon, perhaps in the next day or two, but not before the Gamemakers had their bit of fun with them.

"Who was that boy you were with at the reaping?" Draco asked and grateful for a change in subject Harry talked about Teddy and his family. He explained how Teddy came to be in his care and why he took the boy's place.

"That's brave of you. I'm an only child so I don't really know what it would be like to do that."

"But your name was called so that must have been equally as dreadful."

"Yes," agreed Draco with a nod. "My mum cried and my dad didn't really say anything. His expression at the headquarters before I left…he knew I wouldn't survive."

Harry didn't know what to say so he stayed quiet. For once he was glad that his parents and Sirius weren't here to see him have to suffer in the Games unlike Draco's parents.

"Your pin," Draco said suddenly. "What's it of? I can't quite make it out."

"A phoenix. It was Teddy's, from his father, and he gave it to me before we left."

"That's quite fitting. And imagine if you win!" Draco let out a laugh. "Rising from the ashes of the Games to be the winner. How symbolic is that?"

Harry had to smile at the irony and he shook his head. "Fleur thought it was somewhat ironic too."

"So that's why we had all those fire-like costumes. I guess it helped that we come from the coal district too."

The thought occurred to Harry that this easiness with talking to Draco and telling him about his life seemed natural. Would they have ever really crossed paths back home? Sure they knew of each other, but they were from different classes in 12. Life had a funny way of making things change so drastically.

By early afternoon the rain had abated and it was only overcast so the two decided to go walking for a bit to find some more food and to see if Draco's walking had improved over longer distances. He had been pacing to and fro frequently in the cave, but they both knew things couldn't stay like that forever in the Games.

They had been walking for a while, taking their time and collecting things as they went, when Harry felt a sudden chill. He looked towards the sky and frowned, no breeze or rain drops in sights.

"Did you feel that?" he asked Draco and turned to the blonde.

"It seems a bit cooler if that's what you mean."

"But it's -," he began, but stopped.

The temperature seemed to be falling quickly and suddenly he felt melancholy. He began to think of that dreadful day when he and Teddy waited outside of the mines, watching as survivors were brought up and families were reunited. They waited and waited along with several others until well after dark until they were told that they were sorry, but there were no survivors left.

His walk slowed until Harry stood rooted still. He felt despair wash over him and if he had glanced towards Draco he would have seen the same exact picture.

Then he saw them. The hooded figures floating and hovering nearby that fed off of their pleasant thoughts and memories only leaving anguish and misery in their wake.

Dementors.

The thought of grabbing his wand and warding them off was only a brief momentary thought when he saw Teddy's prone and lifeless body before him. He cried out and fell to his knees, unaware of what he was doing and his surroundings.

"Harry!"

The vision changed and he saw Draco running through the forest, a wand held tightly in his hand. Krum was chasing him and the other tribute had thrown his spear, narrowly missing Draco. The blonde kept running, but Harry heard the vicious words spit forth from Krum's mouth, the deadly killing curse, and a shot of green light hit Draco square in the back. Harry watched in horror as the blonde's lifeless body fell forward slowly, as if in slow motion, and he cried out.

"Harry! Your wand! Give me it!"

The words barely registered through Harry's brain, but he managed to grab hold of it and toss it to the side, unsure of the direction.

Suddenly he saw Draco on the forest floor a few feet away aim the wand upwards at the dementors.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted. A bird, what appeared to be a dove, flew forth from the wand and he faintly heard Draco cast the spell again, but he was too entranced by the bird. He watched as the dementors began to retreat and slowly the feeling of helplessness began to diminish until the dementors were gone.

When all was silent and things were as they were before the dementors arrived Harry turned towards Draco who was lying on his back, arms and legs spread and breathing heavily.

"Where did you learn that?" Harry asked, his eyes wide in surprise at the fact that Draco knew that spell. It definitely wasn't taught in school.

Draco glanced back at Harry. "You're not the only one who knows a thing or two."

Harry was impressed to say the least. How had Draco learned these sorts of spells? There seemed to be more to the blonde than appeared.

A small silver parachute fell from the sky and landed in between them. Draco didn't move towards it so Harry reached for it and undid it to find a bar of chocolate. He held it up to Draco.

"How nice of Snape," Draco commented wryly.

Harry grinned, thankful for the pleasant surprise. He unwrapped it and handed half of it to Draco.

"Thanks."

They sat there and ate the chocolate slowly; savoring the sweet that Harry had only been privilege to a handful of times in his life. Only when they felt drops of rain begin to fall did they stand up and walk back to the cave.

When they arrived back Harry lay down on the sleeping bag and Draco sat next to him leaning against the cave wall.

"How'd you know that spell?" Harry asked.

"The same way you know how to hunt," was the cryptic response. Harry knew that they could only say so much under the watchful eyes of the Ministry, but he understood the answer. Draco knew the spells through an illegal means just like Harry. What Draco didn't know was that he too knew the old spells and then some.

"I know it too," he admitted and Draco looked momentarily stunned until he just shook his head with a smile.

"Why am I not that surprised?"

Harry laughed, but then his expression sobered. "But I couldn't even think when the dementors came. It was like I was in a trance I the spell never even crossed my mind. How did you not feel that?"

At first there was no response until Draco answered quietly, "I felt the same way, but I thought of something happy."

How Draco was able to conjure a pleasant memory Harry was unsure of and he was positive it was intrusive to ask, but he did anyway.

"What did think of?"

Draco blushed and his eyes darted away. Harry had the feeling it had something to do with him.

"Honestly? You. It wasn't a memory as much as something I envisioned that could possibly happen."

"Oh."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know exactly what Draco thought of so he left the topic be and curled up on his side.

The next morning it was no longer raining, but the temperature had dropped considerable. Harry cast a stronger warming charm around them and transfigured two rocks into heavier and rain resistant jackets for them.

"Thanks," Draco said graciously. "I have the feeling that something will happen today. There hasn't been a death in a couple of days now."

"I had that feeling yesterday. The dementors were only a short amusement. We better be prepared."

They went out of the cave, Harry looking back at it and silently saying goodbye for he had a feeling that he wouldn't be back to it. Part of him would miss the safe refuge that it provided, but another half was glad that it would mean the end of the Games.

"Draco, why did you help me when we were younger?" Harry asked. They had been walking towards the lake for some an unknown reason, perhaps to really try and end the Games before the Gamemakers had the chance, when Harry thought of all those years ago. It crossed his mind and he felt the need to ask.

"You mean when I gave you the bread."

"Yeah."

The leaves and broken pieces of bark crunched underneath their feet while the scent of wet earth permeated their noses.

"You looked desperate. I knew you lived in the Seam and not in the merchant's part of the village and the winter had been hard for everyone." The blonde shrugged. "You were hungry so I gave you food."

Maybe Harry had been expecting a deeper explanation, but it was as simple as Harry was hungry and desperate and Draco had been kind enough, even at the young age of nine, to help a fellow classmate that he didn't even know.

"Thanks. I've thought about that quite a bit since the reaping you know."

"Really? I haven't really given it any thought. Actually I thought you didn't even remember it."

Harry stopped walking which caused Draco to pause and turn around, a frown on his face.

"I do remember and it meant a lot to me."

Draco sent him a lopsided smile.

"Come on, we should keep going. We'll probably be there soon. It's interesting that the Careers haven't come to look for us anymore."

Harry caught up to the blonde and they continued to walk in sync next to one another.

"Probably because there's only three of them left."

"True. They'll more than likely stick close to the lake and their camp from now on and Blaise will keep to whatever is on the other side of the lake, but it won't last long as we all know," said Draco.

Through the upcoming trees Harry and Draco could see the clearing and the tent that the Careers had set up. To the left was the lake and then the unknown drop-off where Blaise had taken over.

"Look," Draco whispered. "There's Krum. And Weasley and Chang. Why haven't they killed him off yet?"

Harry frowned, wondering the same thing himself. What exactly was the motive behind Krum and Chang keeping the other Weasley around?

"I don't know. But I think we should plan something. A diversion of some sorts to separate them and take them out. We can deal with Blaise last," suggested Harry.

"What sort of diversion?"

That was the great question. How could they lure at least one of the Careers away from the camp in the hopes of eliminating one of them, preferably either Krum or Chang since they were both from District One.

"We'll use the wand," said Harry, the idea coming to him. He had to separate the Careers and if one stayed behind then perhaps the other two would go off tramping through the woods. "You said they wanted to get rid of me, right? And Krum isn't so fond of you anymore."

Draco nodded in agreement and listened closely as Harry whispered the plan.

"You're just as handy with a wand as I am and I can use my bow. We need to create a distraction to make the Careers come to us and look for us, but it must be obvious. You head back towards the stream, not too far, but in that direction. I'll go further towards the lake and I'll shout your name in a panicked voice as loud as I can so that they can hear me. Surely one of them will go off and investigate. After a few minutes when I can tell that one is coming use the wand and send up green sparks into the sky. We'll be in two different directions so someone else will go to you."

"Let's hope it's not Krum," Draco muttered.

"Hopefully not, but you have a wand."

"They have a wand too," the blonde shot back.

"True, but we don't know which one does. If the person who comes after me does then hopefully they won't have time to use it. We'll both have to be on guard."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Alright, it sounds good enough. If something bad happens I'll shoot up red sparks. Will you come after you've…taken care of whoever?"

"Yes so just stay there. I know the way towards the stream pretty well by now. Okay then?"

Harry's heart was beating wildly in anticipation of the scheme and he hoped that nothing went wrong. If they were lucky enough they would take out two more Careers and have another wand in possession.

Harry felt Draco's hand slip into his briefly enough to squeeze it before the pale hand let go.

"I'll wait ten minutes to give you time to get there before I shout," Harry said. "Good luck."

Instead of replying Draco nodded and began to swiftly retrace their steps towards the stream while Harry continued further towards the lake, but still unseen in the forest.

He found a spot that was several feet into the wooded area, but he could still see the blurred figures of the tributes and their camp. Ten minutes seemed to go by for forever and when he believed that enough time had gone by the plan began in earnest.

"Draco!" Harry shouted as loud as he could. "Draco! Where are you?"

He quieted and saw the three remaining Careers standing together. He waited for what seemed a minute before the redheaded Ron Weasley began to walk towards the woods.

"Draco!" he shouted again for good measure so he was sure that the tribute from 2 knew what direction to go in.

At that point Harry began to climb a tree. He had the advantage of seeing Weasley from above and remaining undetected.

When the redhead came rushing into the forest Harry saw that the knife he had carried and threatened Krum with was in his hand. So he didn't have a wand. Weasley paused once he was in the woods and looked around as if asking himself which direction to go in.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw a shot of green light shine through the air before it disappeared and he knew it was from Draco.

It seemed like Harry had used his bow too many times in the Games to kill someone and this was one more to add to the list of deaths he was guilty of. First Pansy and the doxies, then the tribute who had killed Hermione, Oliver Wood, Ginny Weasley, and now her brother, but he had to protect himself and Draco.

He poised the arrow in the bow and aimed, letting it fly through the air and hitting its target square in the back. Ron Weasley staggered, but he didn't fall. He did turn and begin to look around trying to find his assailant.

Reaching behind him, Harry pulled out another arrow and shot it, this time hitting Ron in the head. He collapsed and did not move further.

The cannon sounded and through the branches Harry saw the redhead's floating face before it disappeared like mist. Shortly after the hovercraft that retrieved the bodies came into sight and the fallen tributes body was pulled up into the Ministry machine before disappearing.

Harry quickly climbed down the tree and began to run in the direction of the stream. Draco was probably more at risk than Harry since Weasley didn't have a wand, but was the likelihood that the other person did have one? He glanced briefly towards the camp before going further into the woods, but he saw no one. Hopefully that didn't mean that Krum and Chang had left the camp abandoned and had gone after Draco together.

He ran faster, vicious thoughts running through his mind of what could be happening to Draco at that exact moment. Draco still wasn't one-hundred percent with the use of his leg and just because he knew spells from old that didn't mean Krum or Chang didn't know them.

As he neared the stream he slowed down so that he was jogging quietly. He didn't want to into a scene caught off guard. When the stream came into view he heard the muffled sound of someone trying to either shout or scream. His pulse quickened until he stepped closer and saw Draco leaning against a tree while Cho Chang was bounded by rope to a tree, her mouth gagged by another piece of thick rope to prevent her from shouting out for help.

"Hey," greeted Harry.

Draco jumped, his wand pointed out in defense, but his arm dropped to his side when he saw who it was and he smiled in relief.

"Hi. I take it everything went well? I heard the cannon."

Harry nodded. "Yes, just according to plan. What happened on your end? Besides the obvious."

Draco snorted and his lips quirked, but he explained. "I did just as you said and when I got here I sent the sparks in the air. She came bounding in and I disarmed her, thinking that she would probably have a wand, but instead she had this."

Draco held up a sword that Harry hadn't even noticed was lying on the ground.

"I stupefied her and transfigured some branches into rope and then tied her up."

Neither said anything for a moment until finally Harry stated the inevitable.

"We can't leave her like this. Krum will surely come looking if a canon doesn't go off."

"I know," Draco replied softly, but he refused to look at Harry. "I – I don't know if I can."

Harry wasn't sure if he could understand Draco's reasoning, but he supposed that since the blonde wasn't in a life or death situation in this exact moment – Chang was the defenseless one and Draco had a wand and it wasn't the other way around – that Draco couldn't find it in himself to kill her.

"I'll do it." More softly he added, "You understand why, right? I don't enjoy doing this, Draco."

Grey eyes met green and for the first time in the Games Harry felt guilty of what he was forced to do. He may think the Careers ruthless and conniving, but they were just children too, forced to survive in a harsh world.

"I know."

The wand was handed to Harry and Chang began to scream louder behind the gag even though it was muffled. She thrashed her head from left to right as if this would help the circumstance she was in.

Harry pointed the wand at her and closed his eyes, knowing that it was nearly impossible to miss his target when he was in close range.

"Avada Kedavra."

The moment he knew she was dead was when the muffled shouting ceased and it was silent except for his own labored breathing and Draco's deep breaths. Green eyes opened to find Cho Chang slumped upright against the tree and Draco staring blankly at her.

"I'm sorry," said Harry in a whisper like voice.

He wasn't sure if he was apologizing to Draco for what he had done or to everyone that had been a part of these wicked Games who were no longer there. Harry barely registered the sound of the cannon going off, but he did feel Draco's arms wrap around him. His eyes fluttered and he pressed them closed while trying to hold back tears. Draco just held him tighter.

"We best undo the ropes," Draco whispered into his ear. "The hovercraft will be here any moment now."

Harry nodded and reluctantly pulled away to watch Draco undo the girl's binds.

"Let's go," Draco said, his hand slipping into Harry's and they began to walk further downstream, the hovercraft appearing seconds later to take the body of Cho Chang.

Now they were four.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: See Prologue/Chapter One.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and added this story to their alerts/favorites. This is the last chapter and there will be a sequel although I'm not sure when that will be posted.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

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><p>They hardly spoke to one another as they rested near the stream, collecting food, cleansing in the water, and collecting their own thoughts.<p>

"There's only two left now," Draco remarked quietly. "Krum must have a wand. And so does Blaise."

"I know, but this needs to end and now. I'm tired of being in this arena and if I'm going to die then it will be today."

Even as the words spilled forth from Harry's mouth he knew they were true. He was indeed tired. Tired of killing others, of having to watch his every move in fear that something or someone were out to get him.

"So you think we should go back to the lake then?" asked Draco.

Neither of them wanted to, but what choice did they have? Blaise might have to be dealt with last, but they could at least try and take out Krum.

"Yes, don't you? There're two of us against Krum. He may be bigger and have a wand, but we've gotten this far, haven't we?"

"You're right." And with a determination Harry had never seen before in Draco's eyes he turned towards Harry and reached out for the wand, Harry acquiescing and handing it over. "Let's go."

Together they headed in the direction they had come from not an hour before. Harry wasn't sure if he was walking to his death or victory, but either way he would see that the seventy-fourth Hunger Games ended today, even if it meant that they had to walk into the unknown past the lake to get to Blaise.

When they reached closer to the clearing and the Careers' camp they paused, looking around to try and find Krum.

"I don't see him," murmured Draco. "Where on earth could he be?"

"Maybe he's hiding in the woods himself since he's the last Career. It would be a given he would be here so maybe he hightailed it out of there. It is the first logical place to look for him."

"True, but I don't know if Krum would go after us. He might let the Gamemakers decide our fate or wait for us to come after him. After all, he let Weasley and Chang come search for us. That must mean something."

Neither was sure what Krum's motives were and maybe they were both wrong. Perhaps he still decided to stay near the lake and cornucopia and was off searching in the forest for the moment.

"I say we just venture out in the open. I don't see him," said Harry.

It may have been stupid to be so vulnerable, especially to Krum who was a brute and was fierce with his weapons, but at that moment Harry didn't care. They walked towards the cornucopia and waited, poised to strike at any moment if Krum came out unknowingly.

They waited what seemed forever and Draco was just about to suggest that they sit down when Harry shoved him to the side, both of them tumbling to the ground. With furrowed eyebrows Draco turned his head to where they were standing to find Krum's spear stuck in the ground. There was no time to state thanks and they both stood up quickly, wand and bow and arrow ready.

When Krum came out of the woods Harry sent a bow towards him, but the tribute from 1 deflected it and sent it shooting to the side with his wand.

"Cast something," Harry muttered to Draco. The blonde sent a stinging hex, but Krum was prepared and dodged to the side while Harry missed his mark when Krum moved.

"Impedimenta!" shouted Draco, but somehow Krum managed to maneuver away from the hex and from the arrow that Harry shot.

"I only have two arrows left!" Harry cried, but they were all stunned, Krum included, when a beast from beyond the lake came forth.

Harry had only seen pictures of werewolves in books and they were more a beast of legend than anything else. When he was younger Sirius would tell him scary stories about werewolves that lived in the dark and dangerous places of the world, but none had ever been reported of being seen in District Twelve.

This werewolf was much larger than he had ever imagined one being. Its brown coat shone in the sunlight and its amber eyes glinted with menace and had a clear message: death. It didn't help the fact that the mangled body of Blaise Zabini was clenched between the werewolf's teeth.

"Run!" Harry screamed just as the cannon shot off.

The cannon seemed to ignite something within the werewolf and it dropped Blaise's body, its fierce eyes pinning down Krum and running towards him.

"No, no," shouted Draco to Harry. "Climb the cornucopia!"

The cornucopia's opening was flat at the very top and the tall structure sat upright on the end while the ridges in it provided a grip to climb. They both latched on and started to climb as fast as they could, hearing Krum yell spell after spell, but none of them the Killing Curse. It seemed that Careers didn't know the Unforgiveables after all.

Harry was out of breath when he reached the top and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the now screaming Krum. He and Draco watched in horror as the werewolf bit into Krum's leg and tried to drag him away. The wand that had been in Krum's hand was laying several feet away from him on the ground and despite his cries of agony he was still trying to reach for it.

"I have to do something," whispered Draco, his face frozen in panic and revulsion at what was passing before their eyes. The werewolf was now tearing into Krum's abdomen and the tribute was no longer trying to get his wand, but instead ward off the werewolf.

Harry said nothing as Draco aimed the wand at the werewolf and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

The growls coming from the werewolf and the sound of flesh being torn out of place ceased, but it did not stop the cries of pain coming from Viktor Krum.

"He won't live even if he wins," Harry stated softly, not once turning away from the dreadful sight in the clearing.

For the first time since Harry remembered seeing Viktor Krum the young man did not look at Harry with hatred, disgust, or the intent to kill. When the brown eyes looked at him in that moment he was pleading for his death and an end to the pain.

"It's not right," Draco agreed quietly and for a second time in less than a minute he pointed the wand and shouted the most Unforgivable curse of them all. "Avada Kedavra!"

The wounded Viktor Krum stopped moving and so did the cries from his pain. For a moment neither Harry nor Draco moved until realization dawned on Harry at what had just transpired.

Turning to Draco he said, "Draco, we did it. We won."

There was no triumph in his voice as he said the words, only acceptance of the fact. How could he feel victorious after all that he had seen and done in the arena?

A canon sounded and Viktor Krum's picture floated in the air moments before a hovercraft appeared to take the mangled body.  
>"Why didn't the hovercraft stop for us too then?" Draco asked after they watched the Ministry machine leave their line of vision.<p>

Harry wasn't sure why nothing was happening either. Where was the Minister's voice announcing that the Hunger Games were over and won by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, both tributes from District Twelve? Why did another hovercraft not appear to take them out of the arena?

"Maybe we have to climb down."

Even to Harry's own ears his suggestion sounded weak, but there was nothing left to do. They climbed down the cornucopia and almost as soon as they stepped onto the grass the voice of Minister Tom Riddle filled the air.

"Good evening tributes. There has been a sudden change in the rules of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games. The previous rule change has been revoked meaning only one tribute will be able to win. May the odds be ever in your favor."

No, it wasn't possible. Had Harry just heard right? Just now as both he and Draco thought they had won the Gamemakers and Ministry wanted them to kill one another?

The cry that had let forth from Draco's mouth startled Harry out of his reverie and he moved towards the hunched over blonde before him who was covering his face with one hand and clutching the wand in his other.

"Draco," said Harry softly but sternly. He put both hands on Draco's shoulders and watery grey eyes looked into his green ones. "They did this one purpose, don't you see?"

And Harry did. He laughed at the twisted irony of it all. The Gamemakers had made it so Harry and Draco would be the last two to survive so in the end their love story would be a tragic one where one would have to kill the other. The Ministry would eat up the tale of a tragic love lost in the Hunger Games to each other and it would be a news sensation across the country.

"They wanted this to happen, for us to be the last."

"To make one of us kill the other," said Draco, the pieces falling into place and Harry could see that he too understood. Draco began to shake his head and he tried to step away from Harry and out of his grip. "I can't kill you, Harry. I _won't_ kill you!"

Harry only held Draco tighter and pulled him closer, his fingers wiping away the tears that were falling silently down Draco's pale face.

"And I won't kill you."

"We can't leave until one of us is dead and if we don't kill each other then the Gamemakers will decide for us!" Draco shouted, the panic in his voice rising with each word.

The wheels inside Harry's mind were whirling and he couldn't, _wouldn't_, let the Ministry win or decide their fates for them. He let go of Draco and ran to the wand that had been used for Krum, gripping it in his hand tightly.

"I won't let them win," Harry stated forcefully, hoping that every district heard his words. "We can't so we'll decide."

Draco appeared confused until Harry stepped forward towards him once more and wrapped an arm around his neck while his other hand lightly touched Draco's hand that was clutching the wand. He moved so close towards Draco that their lips were only centimeters apart.

"Even if one of us survives we didn't really win, did we?" Harry whispered softly so only Draco could hear. The blonde shook his head, but didn't respond. "I don't want to go back without you, Draco."

"And I don't want to go back without you, Harry," Draco said with a voice of urgency.

"So we won't without each other."

"But how?"

Harry squeezed Draco's wand hand tightly. "When I count to three we'll cast the Killing Curse at each other," he stated.

The blonde's breath caught for a moment and shut his eyes tightly before nodding.

What Harry did next was impulsive, but Merlin, if this was his last moment then he was going to do what he felt was right.

Harry leaned forward and pressed his lips to Draco's. Grey eyes opened in surprise, but they fluttered closed and his mouth opened wider, encouraging and accepting the kiss. Tongues tentatively explored each other and Harry pulled Draco even closer, wanting to remember this moment forever.

When he pulled away he looked into Draco's eyes and knew that this was right. With a nod to Draco and a nod back they pulled away from one another.

"On the count of three," Harry said. "One." Their wands were raised and pointed squarely at the other so there was no chance of missing. "Two." He looked at Draco and wondered what could have been if they both lived, but he would never find out. "Three."

"Avada Kedav-!"

"Avada Kedav-!"

"Stop! Stop!"

The voice jolted both of them and their wands wavered, the words to the curse falling silent on their lips at the sound of a panicked Albus Dumbledore reverberating about the arena.

"Congratulations!" they both heard.

Puzzled, Harry looked towards Draco who seemed just as confused as Harry. What on earth was going on? Did Minister Riddle not just announce minutes ago that there could only be one winner?

"The winners of the Hunger Games this year are Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, both hailing from District Twelve!"

Harry's jaw dropped and his hand slackened on the wand in his hand causing it to drop to the ground. He stumbled back a bit when Draco rushed forward and hugged him tightly. His own arms found their way around the blonde.

He was struck in disbelief at what happened and the questions that were running through his mind, the first and foremost was why the Ministry had so suddenly changed their minds?

The sound of the approaching hovercraft caused them to pull away and look up into the sky, both eagerly awaiting its arrival and the fact that they could finally leave the arena. The machine stopped above them and two long metal ropes descended. Harry grabbed one and Draco the other and they were being pulled up, but as they were doing so he felt a prick on his hand.

Suddenly his vision was going black until Harry was no longer conscious.

* * *

><p>His vision was fuzzy and he was sure that he saw Snape, but before there was a chance to focus in on him everything went black again.<p>

The second time he woke he thought that he saw Fleur, but her amber eyes disappeared from sight as his eyelids slid closed.

When he finally woke he jolted up from the cushioned doctor's table that he had been laying on. There was nobody in the room which he found slightly odd, but he swung his legs over the edge and stood up. He caught sight of himself in a mirror that was hanging on a wall and his eyes widened in surprise. The scar on his leg from the burn was gone and he appeared healthy, almost exactly like he did before the Games. His hair shone like it did after Lavender, Parvati, and Padma had done work on him and the dirt and grime from the arena was washed away. The only thing that didn't fit the picture was the all black clothing he was wearing.

Harry left the room and found himself at the end of a familiar hallway that was identical to the twelfth floor in the tower where he stayed for the pre-Games ceremonies. Walking to the end of the hall he found himself in the open area that was the dining and living area, but it was empty so he went to the window and stared out at the world passing below. It was evident that he was back in the Ministry and that this was exactly where he stayed when he and Draco first came here. He watched as the cars drove and people walked on the streets below. Life was still passing by as before, yet for Harry it seemed completely different. How could he not feel like he was living in some other realm after stepping out of the arena? His life would forever be affected by these Games, yet everyone around him would go on as usual.

"You're awake."

Harry turned away from the window, slightly startled at first until he saw his mentor. Harry relaxed a little, but he didn't move away from where he was standing.

"Yes."

"I can arrange for food to be sent up," Snape said and he motioned towards the table. "Why don't we sit?"

"Alright."

Harry sat with his back to the hall and Snape sat across from him. For a moment neither of them said anything until the older man decided he had enough of the silence.

"I suppose congratulations are in order."

Harry resisted rolling his eyes, but he nodded. "And I suppose I should thank you for saving both mine and Draco's lives. Speaking of Draco, where is he? He's alright, isn't he?"

"Yes," said Snape with a nod. "He is perfectly fine. His leg was properly healed and he's been awake a few hours longer than you."

"Good."

Snape's eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but as if he were examining a specimen he wasn't quite sure what to make of.

"First and foremost I hope you realize your actions at the end of the Games will have repercussions. In a sense you went against the Ministry and defied them. You tricked them in the Games and that has never been done before."

This bit of information hit Harry like a weight of bricks. Was that what people were saying – that he intentionally did it to defy the Ministry? If he really looked at it as an outsider perhaps it would appear that way, but that had not been Harry's intention when he had come up with the plan. Yes, he wanted to show that the Ministry would not control him, but he hadn't seen it as an act of defiance.

"What sort of repercussions?"

Snape shrugged. "I'm not sure, but the Ministry will surely be watching you more carefully. They won't want another revolution."

"Revolution?" said Harry as if the idea was preposterous. "I don't have the intention of starting a revolution against the Ministry."

"Perhaps you may not, but it may give others ideas, Harry." It was the first time Snape used his first name and Harry realized that what he was saying was a potential serious problem. He leaned forward a little to press the issue. "You did something nobody else has done in the Games and there will be consequences."

Harry was still baffled by this news, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He was alive and that was what mattered. If this came to be an issue in the future then he would deal with it then.

"Now," said Snape, leaning back into his chair. He smirked and Harry frowned at him, wary. "I must say you impressed me during the Games with your charades. I never thought you were a good actor, Potter."

"What?" Harry asked, utterly confused. Acting? He had most certainly not been acting in the Games so what was Snape talking about?

"Don't play stupid. With Draco. It seems you took my advice after all and made sure everyone believed in your act of love. People in the Ministry were falling for it over you two."

Harry sat back in his chair in disbelief before trying to speak. "I -," he began, but was interrupted by Snape.

"I didn't think you had it in you to make Draco fall even harder for you while fooling the rest of the country too. I would say you're more ruthless than you make yourself out to be."

The words stung and the suggestion that his feelings for Draco had not been real, but only for the Games hurt more than he thought. He needed to explain that this wasn't true, that what happened was real and there was something, whatever it may be, between he and Draco.

"Harry?"

Harry's head whipped around at the sound of the voice and he paled instantly. Draco stood before him in the entrance of the room looking clearly shaken and confused.

"Draco…"

"I'll leave you two," said Snape. Anger rushed through him towards his mentor and what Harry wouldn't give to hurt the man right now. He glared at the retreating figure and watched as Draco warily stepped closer to him while Harry stood.

"Draco," he started again, but the blonde cut him off.

"Is what Snape said true? That your feelings for me and the affection you showed me in the arena was a ploy?"

Harry could hear the desperation in Draco's voice for Harry to contradict what he was saying, but he couldn't lie to Draco. It had started out that way, but Harry had never really played along. He needed Draco to understand.

"At first, but it wasn't really like that Draco. When I found you and you were hurt I started to have feelings and -," said Harry.

Draco was shaking his head and backing up towards the exit.

"So it is true."

"Well yes, it was, but -," Harry began, panic rising inside of him. This wasn't coming out right and Draco didn't seem to want to listen, but he had to.

"Just stop," Draco said angrily, his voice cold. Hardened grey eyes looked at him and whatever trust had been between them seemed to have disappeared in an instant. "You lied to me, Harry, and led me to believe that we actually had something. And at the end…" he trailed off, shaking his head once more. The hurt he was feeling was evident in his tone and eyes.

"Draco," pleaded Harry stepping forward, but the blonde took a step back, trying to keep their distance.

"When we get back to 12 I want you to leave me alone," Draco said forcefully, perhaps for his own conviction rather than Harry's. His eyes were cool and hard. Unforgiving. "We both won and that's that. Goodbye, Harry."

"Please Draco," Harry cried, but it was too late. Draco had left the room and the relationship they had built between them appeared to be shattered.

Harry collapsed in the chair he had previously occupied, damning Snape and himself for what had passed. Why had he resented Draco so in the beginning and let Snape make the suggestion that they love each other? It's not like he had really followed along, but the initial plan had been revealed to Draco and the damage was done.

They would be leaving for District Twelve soon he imagined and when they got back he would try again and explain to Draco what had really happened. He would have to listen because if he didn't Harry wasn't sure what he would do.

Thoughts of what he did in the arena and the consequences that Snape spoke of did not even register in Harry's mind. The only thing that he focused on was winning Draco back.

The sun was beginning to set, illuminating the manmade structures outside. Tomorrow was a new day and what was most important was that he was alive to see it. Even though Draco was angry and hurt at him things still looked promising.

_End Part One._


End file.
